Ukraine's new gun culture: Weapons flood as defense shifts
Ukraine is currently undergoing a significant change in society's approach to firearm ownership, especially following the Russian invasion in February 2022.
As reported by "The Sunday Times," before the war, the majority of citizens were against the liberalization of gun ownership laws. However, the experiences of the conflict have altered this perspective—most Ukrainians now support access to firearms for self-defense purposes.
The legal situation regarding firearms in Ukraine is complicated because there is no separate law regulating this issue; it relies only on a decree from the Ministry of Internal Affairs dating back to 1998.
The procedure for obtaining a gun permit requires undergoing a detailed check and paying a fee. The entire process takes only a month. Ukrainians can own shotguns and semi-automatic rifles, while handguns are available solely as state awards.
Zelensky: We will give weapons to anyone
The invasion three years ago further complicated the situation.
"We will give weapons to anyone who wants to defend the country," announced President Volodymyr Zelensky on February 24, 2022, the day the attack began.
During the invasion, the government distributed weapons to civilians, resulting in a significant increase in the number of firearms in private hands.
In major cities, citizens received assault rifles from government trucks, and an unknown number remain in private hands to this day. In Kyiv alone, the government provided volunteers with over 25,000 assault rifles and around 10 million rounds of ammunition, as well as anti-tank grenades and launchers.
Up to five million units of firearms in circulation
According to estimates from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, there may be between one and five million firearms in circulation, including a large quantity seized from Russian soldiers.
Experts are concerned that without appropriate control mechanisms, after the war ends, there could be a rise in illegal arms trading, posing a threat not only to Ukraine but also to the region and the world.
"What's going to happen after a ceasefire?" asks Brian Lee, an expert in arms trade in Eastern and Western Europe. "There is no law regulating weapons. No Ukrainian policy for demobilization, disarmament or the reintegration of veterans into society. There are readily available transit routes in the nearby Balkans to Western Europe," he explains.
