Weapons’ path from store to owner fully transparent – Infotech director on weapons registry

The architecture of the Unified Weapons Registry (UWR) rules out any "grey zones" or uncertified third-party software connections, and the registry’s goal is to provide citizens with a modern service and the state with reliable oversight, Infotech State Enterprise director Maksym Khimchenko said.

In an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine, Khimchenko said the weapons registry is one of the systems that is continuously being improved.

According to the Infotech director, when the registry was launched in 2023 it was built on a fundamentally different foundation.

"We had to deal with a colossal volume of disparate data that had accumulated over decades in various formats. We carried out titanic work: we unified this data and created an electronic classifier of weapons, ammunition and explosives," Khimchenko said.

He explained that every unit now has a clear digital profile, making the manipulations typical of the old manual management impossible.

The Infotech director noted that creating an extensive system of user accounts in the UWR changed the philosophy of interaction. "Today the UWR is a single ecosystem where every participant has their own secure workspace – the architecture from the outset rules out any grey zones or uncertified third-party software connections," he said.

Khimchenko added: "This is our own product, where the path of a weapon from store to owner is fully transparent. Our goal is to give citizens a modern service and the state ironclad oversight."

He noted that the path toward stricter regulations and creating a closed ecosystem of its own was the only correct one for national security.

Speaking about feedback on the weapons registry’s operation, the Infotech director said the Interior Ministry maintains an open dialogue with market participants.

"They voice their needs and comments, after which we work through them together, form requirements, prepare functional specifications and move on to technical implementation and rollout," Khimchenko said.

Infotech State Enterprise is the operator and developer of Interior Ministry digital systems, ensuring their creation, operation and round-the-clock support.