Ways to prevent the illicit trafficking of firearms, ammunition, and explosives during martial law in Ukraine and the dangers of their legalisation

The relevance of the article lies in the fact that in the conditions of the full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the need to strengthen control over arms trafficking, ensure law and order, and the safety of citizens is becoming more acute. The illegal trade in weapons leads to an increased risk to public safety and creates the conditions for a rise in violent crimes. The aim of the article was to establish optimal ways to prevent the illicit trafficking of firearms, explosives, and ammunition during martial law and, based on international experience, to investigate the feasibility of their legalisation. To achieve this goal, a number of methods were applied: comparative, structural, and systemic. A study of international experience showed that in countries where arms control is lax or arms trafficking is legalised, there is an increase in the number of criminal offences involving weapons. In contrast, in countries where strict arms control has been introduced, a lower level of gun crime is registered. It has been established that the decriminalisation of the storage and manufacture of weapons would increase their circulation among the population, could lead to the illegal use of weapons in both domestic and interpersonal conflicts, and would increase the risk to public safety. Thus, replacing criminal liability for the storage and manufacture of weapons with administrative liability does not sufficiently consider the consequences for the law enforcement system and would reduce the effectiveness of the fight against criminal offences. Firm and strict control over the circulation of firearms reduces the risks of violent crimes involving the use of weapons. The practical significance of the study lies in identifying effective approaches to the legislative regulation of firearms, ammunition, and explosives for further implementation into the legislation of Ukraine, as well as possible ways and means of preventing the illicit trafficking of firearms, ammunition, and explosives during martial law in Ukraine