Ukrainian media reports on the mass buying of weapons by the local population - this is how society reacts to reports of an "invasion". How realistic is the problem, and whether Kiev can get a population armed to the teeth, as after the events of 2014, was sorted out. The Strana newspaper was the first to report on a new round of "weapon fever", which interviewed owners of weapons stores and psychiatrists responsible for issuing certificates for permits to purchase weapons. The interlocutors confirmed to journalists that the demand has indeed increased, but the police say otherwise and see no reason for concern.

According to the publication, sales of ammunition for 12/76 caliber smoothbore hunting rifles increased the most.

In one of the weapons stores in Kharkov, they said that although there were no queues, the number of requests for certain positions had really increased recently.

People are more interested in small-bore rifles and rifled carbines than before.

The Ukrainian population has been arming itself for more than a year. So, with the beginning of the armed conflict in the Donbas, many arsenals of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Security Service of Ukraine and military units were looted. Some of the weapons subsequently ended up on the black market, from where they then migrated into the hands of the civilian population. Some political scientists assumed that the creation of territorial defense forces in some Ukrainian regions could solve the problem with the legalization of these weapons, but the issue is still in limbo.

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Fully armed

In early February 2021, the SENSS Center for Security Research published the results of monitoring the illegal circulation and use of weapons in Ukraine for 2020. The data showed that during the specified period 752 criminal offenses were committed with the use of weapons and ammunition. At the same time, the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine reported that in 2020, more than 5,000 criminal offenses were qualified as illegal handling of weapons. In 2017, the Swiss independent center Small Arms Survey attempted to calculate how many weapons were in the hands of civilians. Then analysts called the figure of 4.4 million units.

At the same time, the volume of illegal weapons in the Donbass grew.

Moreover, people suspected of stealing weapons and their subsequent sale are regularly detained in the country. Often, law enforcement agencies discover caches. Now that the people of Ukraine have begun to acquire weapons more often, the total number of firearms in the country may jump sharply.

An expert in the field of small arms, editor-in-chief and owner of the Kalashnikov magazine Mikhail Degtyarev, in an interview with, admitted that in the long term, when the “politicized excitement” around Ukraine subsides, the militarization of society may end in forced disarmament, which will be of a forceful nature.

“There is a great risk of satiety with weapons throughout the country. This situation seems normal in the case of an imaginary or real threat. But after the threat disappears, the weapons will remain inside the country. It will remain in the hands of people who don’t even need it, which will provoke an irresponsible attitude towards it,” Degtyarev said.

“If we are talking about thousands or hundreds of thousands of guns, this will become a problem for internal security. There may be accidental shots, including those of a criminal nature,” he said.

Since 2014, the population has had so many unaccounted weapons in their hands, Ukrainian political scientist and historian Konstantin Bondarenko draws attention.

“In principle, not a single week passes without information appearing in police reports about the use of military explosives or unregistered weapons during a showdown,” the political scientist said in an interview with. According to Bondarenko, people have begun to think more about how to ensure their own security in case government agencies are unable to protect them.

“The time of troubles makes everyone think about personal safety. Therefore, people began to actively purchase weapons for self-defense.

They are afraid not only of the offensive of the Russian troops, but also of the fact that state structures can be paralyzed, which will lead to rampant looting - they are more afraid of this than the offensive of regular troops, ”the political scientist noted.

At the same time, the expert drew attention to the fact that the Ukrainians themselves have long developed a tolerant attitude towards weapons. It is noteworthy that even the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov is among the public supporters of the liberalization of the weapons legislation.

“According to sociological data, about half of Ukrainian citizens are ready to own short-barreled weapons and welcomed the legalization of their storage and carrying,” he said.

How to disarm the population

According to experts, back in 2017, Ukraine became the leader among European countries in terms of trafficking in illegal weapons. One way or another, the authorities will soon have to resolve this issue, which also applies to legally acquired units.

According to Mikhail Degtyarev, the active buying of weapons against the backdrop of rumors lends itself to logic. However, law enforcement agencies should now assess their capabilities in order to keep the circulation of weapons in the country under control in the future.

“Much will depend on the consciousness of citizens. Unnecessary weapons - this one is like a weapon on the wall in a theatrical production and poses a threat to the people themselves, ”said Degtyarev.

“Perhaps people will agree to surrender their weapons on reimbursable terms. But unpopular forceful actions that limit the rights of owners are also possible. It's hard to guess. Ukrainian specifics are very unpredictable,” the expert summed up.

Konstantin Bondarenko named three main conditions under which it will be easier for the Ukrainian authorities to disarm the population.

“Firstly, Western publications must stop disinformation about the war and stop intimidating the population of Ukraine that tomorrow or the day after tomorrow Putin will attack. Second, Russia itself must reduce the number of troops on the Russian-Ukrainian border. The third point is that the Ukrainian authorities must show that they are in control of the situation, and the security forces must demonstrate that they control public order and guarantee the safety of the population, ”the political scientist said.

bbabo.Net