The circulation of weapons in the state is controlled by Ukrainian law enforcement officers together with Europol
Information in some foreign media about the presence in Europol of forecasts about the potential risks of smuggling weapons from Ukraine against the background of the war may be a fact of dishonesty or unprofessionalism of the media, as well as, perhaps, a deliberate action of Russian intelligence services, - said Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Mary Akopyan.
At the same time, Europol representatives posted their position to refute this information on the agency's website. The report emphasizes the existing close cooperation between Ukraine and Europol in the processes of combating the illegal circulation of weapons. In particular, the reports stressed that this topic was carefully discussed during the meeting of the Director of Europol with the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Denis Monastyrsky within the framework of the informal meeting of EU interior ministers in Prague. Europol called for the inadmissibility of speculation on illegal weapons from Ukraine in the media.
It should be noted that indeed on the sidelines of the informal meeting of EU interior ministers in Prague on July 11, during the conversation of the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Denis Monastyrsky with the Director of Europol Catherine de Bollier, the parties discussed the problems of illegal arms trade - as one of the key challenges related to with Russian aggression in Ukraine.
The parties agreed on further cooperation within the framework of the participation of law enforcement agencies of Ukraine in the operational activities of the EMPACT Operational Action Plans, where one of the directions is the illegal circulation of firearms. In addition, the Ukrainian side informed about the prospect of introducing the Unified Register of Weapons in Ukraine and stressed that the automation of weapons accounting processes will strengthen control over its manufacture, storage, use, as well as carry out its identification.
“The Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Police, the State Border Service are taking a number of measures to prevent the illegal distribution of weapons both in Ukraine and abroad. Among such measures is the creation and introduction of the Unified Register of Weapons in Ukraine. Effective control of firearms, their most important components, ammunition, ammunition components, explosives, and explosives blanks depends on keeping records of them.” — Mary Akopian noted
Against the background of sporadic but fairly consistent information releases about the alleged large-scale threat of illegal arms trafficking originating from Ukraine, it should be noted that this issue is carefully monitored by Ukrainian law enforcement agencies. And the introduction of the Unified Register makes it possible to automate the life cycle of weapons. This will strengthen control over its manufacture, storage, use, as well as carry out its identification.
For reference: On February 23, 2022, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopted in the first reading the draft Law of Ukraine “On the Right to Civil Firearms” (register No. 5708), which is designed to strengthen the observance of legality in matters of determining the legal regime of ownership of weapons, to consolidate the basic rights and obligations of citizens and legal persons in relation to the production, acquisition, possession, disposal and use of weapons and ammunition, to regulate the import of civilian firearms and ammunition into the territory of Ukraine and their export, to ensure strict, but fair state control in the field of firearms circulation. This draft law, liberalizing the circulation of firearms in Ukraine on the one hand, at the same time strengthens the responsibility for their illegal use.
Department of Communications of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
