Today, the Verkhovna Rada approved in the first reading the draft law on the free possession of firearms by citizens of Ukraine. The document was supported by 274 people's deputies.
At the same time, the draft law left for civilian weapons exclusively the niche of hunting and sporting tools, carrying which in a charged form outside hunting grounds or shooting ranges is subject to criminal liability.
At the same time, restrictions on ownership apply to:
- smooth-bore short-barreled firearms intended for firing cartridges;
- threaded weapons with a caliber of more than 127 mm, if the flight speed of its ball exceeds 700 m/s;
- revolvers;
- long-barreled smooth-bore firearms with a caliber of more than 27 millimeters;
- overhead rifled barrels for smoothbore firearms;
- armor-piercing, explosive or incendiary ammunition, as well as shells for similar ammunition;
- ammunition, specially designed to enhance penetrating and impressive action.
"The requirements of this Law do not apply to the acquisition, storage, registration and use of firearms, ammunition for them, the maintenance of shooting ranges, shooting ranges and stands in the Armed Forces of Ukraine, military formations created in accordance with the legislation of Ukraine, bodies and educational institutions of the Security Service of Ukraine and the Ministry of Internal Affairs," says the text of the document.
A unified state register of civil weapons will be created for weapons registration - the only state information and search system for weapons registration, containing information on the rights to weapons, as well as the objects and subjects of these rights. The holder of the weapons register will be the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.
It should be noted that two draft laws were submitted to the parliament for consideration, the fundamental difference between which was the absence of provisions in the basic draft law No. 5708, providing for the right of citizens to own and carry weapons precisely for the purpose of self-defense. In particular, the Ministry of Internal Affairs opposes such a position, arguing that it is the "unwillingness" of Ukrainians to obtain the right of armed self-defense.
