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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
Political scientist Ihor Chalenko called for formalizing Ukrainians' right to armed self-defense. He noted that legalizing pistols would not increase crime, citing as an example a drop in the crime rate of 60% in Moldova.
Speaking on air on 24 Channel, the expert criticized law enforcement's concerns about unrestricted circulation of pistols. In his view, officially regulating the procedure for purchasing and carrying short-barreled firearms will only bring order and pull the existing illegal market out of the shadows.
Why guns will not lead to a crime surge
As a clear example, the political scientist recalled events at the start of the full-scale invasion. Then, by order of the then head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Denys Monastyrskyi, civilians were widely issued weapons to defend cities, and this did not cause a spike in crime.
Denys Monastyrskyi had great faith in Ukrainians and was the driving force behind drafting the law on circulation of short-barreled weapons. However, after his death this initiative was quickly shelved
– Ihor Chalenko said.
He also pointed to international experience, in particular Moldova, where carrying pistols was allowed as early as 1994. Although at first incidents involving the use of firearms increased by 10%, overall the country's crime rate ultimately fell by 60%.
Ihor Chalenko on the advisability of legalizing short-barreled weapons in Ukraine: video
Lack of police and self-defense
Another argument in favor of legalization is the situation in law enforcement, where staffing shortages currently reach up to a third of the force. Because of the lack of personnel, patrol officers do not always arrive quickly enough to a call at a critical moment.
We must expand realization of the constitutional right to defense. The presence of vetted firearms among citizens will be an auxiliary element for keeping the crime situation under control
– the expert concluded.
What came before
Debates about legalizing short-barreled weapons for civilians in Ukraine have been going on for years. As early as 23 February 2022, the Verkhovna Rada passed draft law No. 5708 on the right to civilian firearms in the first reading. The document envisages the introduction of a Unified State Weapons Register and classification of categories of armament, but the provision on the right to carry pistols provoked the most controversy and remains unresolved in the final version.
In August 2024 the parliament took another step toward registering weapons by adopting a law on the procedure for declaring firearms issued to or found by civilians since the start of the full-scale invasion. At the same time, full legislative regulation of citizens' right to armed self-defense and the circulation of pistols is still awaiting final vote.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Злочинність впала на 60%: політолог пояснив, чому Україні потрібен закон про зброю". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Channel 24.
