A petition has been registered on the website of electronic appeals of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, which provides for granting war veterans the right to purchase, store and carry short-barreled firearms for self-defense. The initiative concerns military personnel who participated in the repulsion of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation and were discharged from service, in particular due to health reasons or disability.
The authors of the appeal emphasize that veterans have combat experience and often remain vulnerable in civilian life, therefore they need additional security guarantees. At the same time, it is proposed to introduce a mandatory check – similar to the one that weapon owners undergo, or special additional control procedures.
At the same time, judicial practice in Ukraine demonstrates the risks associated with the circulation of weapons even among trained individuals. Thus, the Luhansk Court of Appeal sentenced a serviceman to 10 years in prison for attempting to murder two people using an automatic pistol that he illegally kept during his leave. Another case, considered by the Zaporizhzhia Court of Appeal, ended with a sentence of 7 years in prison for violating the rules for handling weapons, which led to the death of a person.
Experts emphasize: the issue of expanding access to short-barreled weapons requires a balanced approach, because along with the right to self-defense there is also the need to minimize risks to society. The discussion around the initiative may become an important stage in the formation of a new state policy on the civilian circulation of weapons in war and post-war periods.
