Over 178,000 units of weaponry have gone missing in Ukraine during the war

From the war’s onset, there’s been a drastic increase in lost firearms, surpassing the total count for 2021 in just February 2022. These losses and thefts accounted for 30% of all firearms recorded in the Registry throughout its history, dating back to 1920.

Over 178,000 firearms have been lost or stolen in Ukraine during the full-scale war, mainly in Zaporizhzhia. The situation slightly stabilized in 2023, with 65,371 lost or misplaced firearms reported in less than 11 months. Around 80% of the firearms were lost starting from February 2022, reducing to 20% reported stolen by early 2023. Shotguns, rifles and carbines are the most frequently lost or stolen firearms, including models like AK74, PM and SKS. Rifled weapons comprised 54.30% of losses, while 29.26% were smoothbore and 7.33% designed for rubber bullets. About 69.6% of lost or stolen firearms were of foreign origin.

Geographically, Sumy saw the most thefts (10,234 units), while Zaporizhzhia reported the highest loss (28,076 units). The Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk and Luhansk regions experienced the most significant overall losses and thefts. The Registry records both civilian and military arms, crucial for accurate categorization and tracking. Special forms are used for military write-offs, specifying reasons for weapon disappearance or malfunction. For civilian thefts, owners must report to law enforcement for registry entry.