Center for Security Studies “CENSS”.

20th January 2025

09:00 – 18:00

Mon. – Fri.

+380-44-234-14-80

st. Mechnikov,

10/2, of. 25, Kyiv

Supporting Ukraine in addressing the risks of small arms and light weapons proliferation from the Russian war of aggression

Supporting Ukraine in addressing the risks of small arms and light weapons proliferation from the Russian war of aggression

Partner: The Small Arms Survey (the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland).

Donor: Germany.
Project implementation period: June 2023–December 2025.

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Context

Since February 2022, the war in Ukraine has continued unabated, and features regular reports of indiscriminate violence against civilians. When the war ends, Ukraine will not only have to rebuild infrastructure and resettle millions of displaced people, but the country will have to collect and dispose of the vast quantities of arms and ammunition lost and abandoned by combatants and stockpiled by civilians over the course of the war. The project seeks to support Ukraine and others in the region anticipate, face and address these challenges by helping fill critical knowledge, collaboration and capacity gaps. The Small Arms Survey will undertake this project together with the Center for Security Studies (CENSS) and in close cooperation with other researchers and practitioners working on arms monitoring and control in Ukraine.

Objectives

The overall goal of the project is to reduce the risks of illicit weapons and ammunition flows to, within, and from Ukraine, thereby contributing to long-term objectives of peace and security in Ukraine and Europe.

The project has identified two main objectives:

  1. Policymakers, practitioners and the public benefit from an increased availability of timely, relevant and quality evidence and research on current and possible future threats posed by the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons, both within Ukraine and internationally.
  2. CENSS and a growing number of Ukrainian practitioners and researchers have inclusive networking and learning exchanges with relevant international practitioners and policy experts.

Activities and outputs

Under objective 1:

  • Establishment of a project dashboard and of a functioning network to advise the project and provide feedback on knowledge products.
  • Preparation of four online reports on public perceptions of arms proliferation and related threats to security.
  • Maintenance of an updated dataset of illicit small arms and light weapons in Ukraine, and preparation of monitoring reports on such weapons and ammunition.
  • Publication of a consolidated report on the proliferation of small arms, light weapons, and ammunition from, within and to Ukraine.

Under objective 2:

  • CENSS and a growing and inclusive network of Ukrainian practitioners, academics, and NGOs working on security issues participate in a cycle of knowledge sharing and training sessions with international experts to promote exchange and learning on matters of small arms proliferation.

Сontacts:

Viktoria Voronina – project manager from CENSS (095 567 66 83)
Antonina Domikan – administrative manager (097 453 95 40)

More details about the project activities:

Inception Meeting of the Ukrainian Network Group (September 29, 2023)

Webinar on the Threats of the Proliferation of Illegal 3D-Printed Weapons (December 6, 2023)

Working meeting of of the Ukrainian Network Group (December 12-13, 2023)

Presentation of projects of the winners of the micro-grant program

Filming social advertisement about the dangers associated with the illegal circulation of weapons and irresponsible handling of them

Presentation of videos about the dangers associated with illegal arms trafficking and irresponsible handling of weapons (May 29, 2024)

Training on the trafficking and possession of weapons in the EU and Ukraine for the project’s professional community (June 4, 2024)

Working visit of Small Arms Survey representatives to Ukraine (August 5-8, 2024)

Student Essay Contest “The Right to Free Possession and Bearing of Firearms: Will Ukrainian Society Win?” (October 11-November 8, 2024)

Speech by Viktoria Voronina at Geneva Peace Week 2024

Presentation of the results of an analytical study on the problems of illegal arms trafficking conducted by Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs within the framework of the micro-grant program

Annual conference of the project supporting Ukraine in addressing the risks of smallarms and light weapons proliferation from the russian war of aggression (November 7-8, 2024)

Reports of research conducted under the project’s microgrant program:
1. Activities of the National Police of Ukraine in the field of countering illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons main problems and ways forward;
2. Problems of legal regulation of the use of weapons during the national resistance to Russian aggression against Ukraine;
3. Analysis of court decisions  in criminal proceedings under art. 263 of the criminal code of ukraine;
4. Perception of the problem of illegal arms trafficking in communities, the role of local self-government bodies in countering illegal arms trafficking and use.

Illegal arms trafficking in communities: presentation of research at the universities of Ivano-Frankivsk and Lviv

Works of the winners of the student essay contest on the topic “The Right to Free Possession and Bearing of Firearms: Will Ukrainian Society Win?”:
First place – Daria Nosik, a master’s student majoring in Law at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv;
Second place – Anastasiia Titova, second year student majoring in Law at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv;
Third place – Adamenko Oleksandr, master’s student majoring in Law at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv;
Third place – Maksym Dikhtyaruk, master’s student majoring in Law at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.

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