According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in Ukraine, the number of lost and stolen weapons has increased from 270.9 thousand to 491.4 thousand units. This is almost a twofold increase in the indicator over the past year, which is a cause for serious concern. Data analysis showed that in most cases (94%), the weapons were lost, not stolen (6%).
The most commonly missing types of weapons are automatic rifles (over 149 thousand units) and hunting rifles (over 135 thousand). Leading among automatic rifles are models AK-74 (over 99 thousand cases) and Makarov pistols (over 21 thousand). More than half of the lost weapons are of foreign origin (58%), while domestic samples account for only 17%.
Areas with the highest weapon losses
Among the regions, the highest number of missing and lost weapons is recorded in large cities and regions where active hostilities are ongoing or where there was occupation. Leading in this indicator is Kyiv with 78.5 thousand units, followed by Donetsk region (72.2 thousand), Mykolaiv region (50.1 thousand), Kyiv region (50.1 thousand), and Zaporizhzhia region (36.9 thousand).
Ukraine is preparing agreements on controlled exports of weapons. Currently, there are agreements with the USA, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. This was reported by President Volodymyr Zelensky, adding that the export of some types of weapons that are in surplus could provide additional financial opportunities for the production of necessary systems.
The increased loss and theft of weapons in Ukraine recently has caused serious concern. Among the regions with the highest weapon losses are Kyiv, Donetsk region, and other areas associated with active conflicts. Ukraine also intends to conclude agreements with other countries regarding the controlled export of weapons to ensure additional financial opportunities for the development of its own military-industrial sector.