(MENAFN) According to an adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs, Ukrainians might get the right to carry firearms for self-defense as early as next year.

Viktor Andrusiv said on Sunday, citing an unidentified survey, that 70% of Ukrainians favor the appropriate law, which was adopted at the first stage by the country's parliament on February 23 - the day before Russia started its military attack.

He stated that modifications were being drafted for the bill's second reading.

“The legislation will be adopted during the summer [or] autumn,” Andrusiv stated, noting that the creation of weapon registries would take some time after that.

“Perhaps additional decisions will be made so that we can maintain control over the circulation of weapons – check whose it is, how the registration process will take place, in which periods the gun owner must undergo inspections,” the ministerial adviser elaborated.

He stressed that the whole talk is “only about pistols,” not about grenade launchers or Kalashnikov assault rifles.

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