The Security Service and National Police have shut down new attempts to illegally sell ‘trophy’ weapons in several regions of Ukraine. Seven traffickers of combat weapons have been detained in four regions.

Among the items seized from them are russian Kalashnikov assault rifles, anti-tank grenade launchers, and boxes of ammunition of different calibres.

In Vinnytsia region, in cooperation with the command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, three contract soldiers of AFU military units have been exposed. They transported ‘trophy’ weapons from the combat zone on the eastern front for sale.

All three suspects were caught red-handed while attempting to sell three russian AK-12s with ammunition.

Another two perpetrators were uncovered in Zakarpattia region. One of them is a 42-year-old unemployed man who set up a weapons cache near a local bus station and was looking for customers to sell to.

The other is a 35-year-old deserter who was trying to secretly sell an arsenal of combat grenades that he had stored in the yard of a private household.

In Zaporizhzhia, a 31-year-old conscript was apprehended in cooperation with the AFU Command. He had left his military unit without permission and taken with him two automatic rifles and a grenade launcher with three rounds. He planned to sell the stolen weapons through acquaintances in a frontline town.

In Rivne region, a local leader of a volunteer territorial community formation was detained for attempting to sell a batch of russian grenades along with an AK-74 automatic rifle and ammunition taken from the southern front. He kept the illegally transported ammunition in a cache in his garage.

All those detained have been notified of suspicion under Article 263 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – illegal handling of weapons and ammunition.

The suspects face up to seven years in prison. All seized weapons will be handed over to the Defence Forces on the front line.

The operations were carried out by the SSU regional offices in cooperation with the National Police under the procedural supervision of the Prosecutor’s Offices.