The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted a draft law regulating the procedure for declaring and handling firearms found by civilians during martial law. Bill No. 9538 received the support of 291 people’s deputies, about what reported People’s Deputy Iryna Gerashchenko.
According to the document, civilians who discover firearms or ammunition are obliged to immediately notify the police and within 24 hours to hand over the weapon for further surrender or declaration, or indicate its location for removal.
The document provides that civilians can use found weapons for defense and deterring armed aggression against Ukraine. This applies to weapons such as combat pistols, assault rifles, and sniper rifles of the appropriate caliber.
Not all weapons are subject to declaration. Exceptions are:
- Weapons with a caliber of 12.7 mm or more, ammunition for it.
- Smooth-bore weapons of caliber over 23 mm and ammunition for them.
- Machine guns, grenade launchers, mortars, flamethrowers, portable anti-aircraft missile systems, barrel artillery systems and ammunition for them.
- A weapon that is a means or instrument of a criminal offense.
- Weapons with removed or illegally altered markings.
- Weapons attached to military personnel or law enforcement officers.
Weapons that are not subject to declaration are subject to seizure. If a civilian nevertheless declares a weapon and keeps it for himself, then he must use it according to the same rules as military personnel when performing tasks to repel aggression. It is prohibited to transfer such weapons to other persons, except for police authorities.
After the end of martial law, weapons must be surrendered to the police within 90 days. In the future, according to the application, it will be possible to acquire the right to own a weapon after passing appropriate checks. Otherwise, the weapon will become state property, and the ammunition will be disposed of.
