In an effort to toughen punishment for looting – equating it to a major crime committed by an organized group, members of parliament, including Verkhovna Rada's First Deputy Speaker Oleksandr Korniyeno, have proposed changing the law.

"Changes to the Criminal Code are proposed to supplement the offenses provided for in Article 185 (theft), Article 186 (robbery), Article 187 (brigandism), Article 189 (extortion), Article 191 (Misappropriation, embezzlement or conversion or property by malversation): a qualifying sign – commission of the crime during the martial law or during the state of emergency," MPs said in an explanatory note to bill No. 7124, registered in the Rada on Thursday.

The bill provides for an increase in the minimum limit of punishment under Article 432 of the Criminal Code (stealing of things that are with the dead or wounded on the battlefield) to between three to five years.

"The facts of looting have now become widespread and are recorded in many regions of our country. At the same time, the response under criminal law is too lenient," the MPs said in the explanatory note.