KYIV. Feb 5 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The majority of Ukrainians consider themselves responsible enough to grant them the right to carry short-barreled weapons, according to the data of the first national survey on the request of citizens for the right of armed self-defense.

Presenting the results of the survey at a press conference at Interfax-Ukraine on Friday, the organizer of the survey, Managing Partner at PGR Consulting Group Ruslan Rokhov said Ukraine has not adopted a law on weapons yet, and people who wanted to protect themselves, they cannot acquire weapons, since this issue is not legally regulated.

"In Ukraine, the crime rate is assessed [by the respondents] as very high [...] when asked if you feel safe going home in the dark, some 62% answered that 'rather yes,' some 36% answered, that 'rather not' [...] in small towns and villages people feel safe, in big cities people feel not safe," Deputy Director of the Info Sapiens research company Inna Volosevych said.

According to the poll, some 62% of Ukrainians believe that the police should be responsible for the safety of citizens, and 34% of respondents said that people are responsible for their own safety.

"What can contribute to an increase in the level of security? Some 38% of Ukrainians believe that this is a police reform, while 21% believe that this is the granting of citizens the right to legally acquire and carry short-barreled weapons for self-defense," Volosevych said.

According to the poll results, some 40% of Ukrainians believe that when a threat to life and health arises, it is necessary to defend oneself as much as possible, while 33% believe that it is necessary to hide or run away by calling the police.

"We asked Ukrainians if you would like to legally acquire and own short-barreled firearms for self-defense, or if you entrust the protection of your life and property to the police. Opinions were divided here: 49% more likely rely on the police, and 44% would like to purchase short-barreled weapons for self-defense," the deputy head of the research company said.

According to the survey, some 54% of Ukrainians do not know that there is no law on weapons in Ukraine, while 46% of respondents are aware of the absence of legislative regulation of the possession of weapons.

At the same time, some 61% of the respondents believe that the Verkhovna Rada should adopt a law on weapons, some 36% do not agree with this. At the same time, answering a question whether you consider yourself responsible enough to own a short-barreled weapon for self-defense after training and exams, some 65% of the respondents answered in the affirmative, and 33% do not think so.

"We certainly need the law on weapons. Now we need to understand which of the two bills that are in the Verkhovna Rada should be taken and reach the final stage," Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Ukrainian Gun Owners Association Georgy Uchaykin said.

He said initially the association had prepared one bill, and later it was negatively corrected.

According to Uchaykin, in the Verkhovna Rada profile committee there is "lobbying for corruption interests that exist in the weapons circulation system."

"We do not need to pass a bad bill after 30 years of waiting," he said.

MP of Ukraine Andriy Sharaskin, in turn, said that the consideration of the law on weapons by the parliament is postponed, and "manipulation is spreading about legalization, about the unpreparedness of society."

The national sociological survey was carried out by Info Sapiens from February 1 to February 3 by telephone interview, the sample size was 2,012 respondents, the theoretical margin of error is 2.2%.