In Ukraine, civilians may be holding up to five million unregistered firearms, according to the EU Advisory Mission. According to them, the number of unregistered firearms has increased approximately threefold since the start of the full-scale war compared to the pre-war period.
The problem of illegal arms trafficking was the subject of a closed meeting of the parliamentary committee on law enforcement. The meeting was attended by the Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko and the leadership of the National Police. As reported by the first deputy chairman of the committee Andriy Osadchuk, the meeting discussed in detail the risks of using explosives and illegal weapons in the civilian sector.
The impetus for the discussion was the shooting in Cherkasy region in late January, which killed four police officers and veteran Serhiy Rusinov. According to Osadchuk, the situation has become a serious challenge for the minister and the leadership of the National Police, which requires a systemic response.
At the same time, journalists report the active activity of shadowy online platforms. They offer not only small arms, but also explosives. Among the ads are F-1 grenades priced from $130 and RPG-7 grenade launchers priced from about $880. At the same time, some of these offers may be fraudulent, but the very fact of the availability of such goods is worrying.
Prices on the black market are often significantly lower than in the legal segment. According to journalists, popular models of pistols are sold two to three times cheaper than in licensed stores. This difference in cost is also observed for long-barreled weapons. It is the price factor, according to experts, that can stimulate demand for illegal sales channels.
The meeting paid special attention to the pace of legalization of captured weapons. Despite the amendments to the legislation adopted by the Verkhovna Rada in 2024, the process of declaring and legalizing weapons is slow. As a result, a significant amount of weapons remains outside state control.
