Rada legalizes trophy weapons
Kyiv • UNN
The Verkhovna Rada passed a law regulating the issue of trophy firearms. Civilians will be able to declare and use found weapons to repel Russian aggression during martial law.
The Verkhovna Rada has adopted in the second reading a bill that will regulate the issue of trophy firearms, as well as establish the procedure for obtaining, declaring and handling them. This was reported by UNN with reference to the draft law No. 9538 and the broadcast of the Verkhovna Rada session.
Details
The draft law was supported by 291 MPs. The draft law stipulates that civilians who find firearms, their main parts or ammunition must immediately notify the National Police of Ukraine and, within 24 hours, hand them over to law enforcement agencies in any convenient way for further surrender or declaration or indicate their location for further seizure
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Firearms and ammunition found and declared by civilians may be used by civilians to repel and deter armed aggression by the Russian Federation or other states
It is not subject to declaration:
- rifled firearms with a caliber of 12.7 mm or more and ammunition for them;
- smooth-bore firearms of more than 23 mm caliber and ammunition
- machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars, flamethrowers, man-portable air defense systems, barrel artillery systems and ammunition, and other weapons and ammunition that cannot be owned by civilians;;
- firearms and ammunition that are a means or instrument of a criminal offense;
- ammunition separately from firearms.
Firearms and ammunition that are not subject to declaration shall be seized in accordance with the established procedure by the National Police of Ukraine. Declared firearms and ammunition shall be in the possession and use of civilians during the period of martial law
Civilians are obliged to hand over their firearms and unused ammunition to the National Police no later than 90 days after the termination or lifting of martial law in Ukraine.
The draft law also specifies the cases in which citizens will not be able to obtain the right to found and declared firearms:
- firearms are not subject to declaration;
- firearms belong to another individual or legal entity, including state property;
- firearms belong to the types of firearms that cannot be owned by an individual.
Civilians in possession of firearms and ammunition subject to declaration must, within one month, contact the National Police to declare or surrender them.
Recall
Last week, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the Verkhovna Rada to convene urgently in the near future to consider a defense legislative package, including issues related to, among other things, the regulation of trophy weapons, the citizenship of foreigners fighting in Ukrainian legions, and the deprivation of state awards to traitors.
