Parliament proposes to grant civilians the right to declare their firearms
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted as a basis the government's draft law on amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On Ensuring the Participation of Civilians in the Defense of Ukraine" to improve the procedure for obtaining, declaring and handling firearms (Reg. No. 9538 of 28.07.2023).
The draft law, in particular, provides for the regulation of certain aspects of the possession and handling of weapons, as well as the definition of binding norms.
The purpose of the draft law is to give civilians the right to declare their weapons and ammunition, the right to own and use firearms and ammunition during the period of martial law in Ukraine and 90 days after its termination or cancellation.
According to Iryna Borzova, MP from the Servant of the People party, the draft law No. 9538 adopted in the first reading offers effective mechanisms to regulate the use of firearms by civilians.
"From the moment this law enters into force, a civilian must apply to the National Police within a month and declare their firearms. We are talking about rifled firearms with a caliber of no more than 12.7 mm and smoothbore firearms with a caliber of no more than 23 mm. If a civilian, for example, finds a firearm, he or she must contact the police within 24 hours, report the fact and hand over the weapon. If a person fails to declare firearms, he or she is prohibited from using or storing such weapons in regions where there are no active hostilities," the MP said.
She also added that the Verkhovna Rada is separately considering a proposal to amend the law of Ukraine on postal services to allow postal workers to use weapons.
"This is done to protect infrastructure, human life, and finances, as our postmen deliver, for example, pensions in those regions where active hostilities are ongoing. Therefore, it is proposed to grant permission to postal workers to carry, store and use weapons after undergoing special training," explained the MP.
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