During Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, the police in Kyiv seized 433 firearms, 11 grenade launchers, nine machine guns from illegal circulation, mostly weapons are confiscated at checkpoints, Chief of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Kyiv Ivan Vyhovsky has said.

"There were 182 cases of illegal handling of weapons last year, this year there are 365, we see that this is a significant increase and a problem," Vyhovsky told Interfax-Ukraine.

"In total, we seized 433 firearms, 11 grenade launchers, nine machine guns, 187 assault rifles, 145 pistols and more than 73,000 ammunition, including 212 grenades, from illegal circulation during the war. In most cases, we seize weapons at checkpoints," the chief of police in Kyiv said.

In general, according to him, it is necessary to create a unified register of weapons and streamline the issue of legalization of weapons.

"I think that the position determined by the Minister of Internal Affairs is correct. Firstly, if firearms are issued, then short-barreled pistols. Secondly, of course, all this still needs to be worked out. Make a certain inventory, a register... and then it will be possible talk about something specific," Vyhovsky said.

As for the psychological readiness of Ukrainians to have weapons for their own protection, the police chief said: "When issuing weapons, people should be checked qualitatively by psychiatrists and narcologists. In general, it is necessary to approach this issue very carefully and balanced."