Photos courtesy of Ken Russell
- The Miami Police Department sent over a hundred guns and 148,000 bullets to Ukraine.
- It's the first time the US has transferred confiscated small arms to another country.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is pressing the US to send more long-range weapons.
Ukraine received a shipment of 101 firearms and 148,000 bullets handed in to the Miami Police Department, according to Ukraine's Parliament, with the weapons now in the hands of Ukrainian authorities.
The transfer, a first-of-its-kind, came about through the City of Miami's voluntary gun buyback program, which aims to get guns off the streets and send them to Ukraine.
The "Guns 4 Ukraine" scheme provides vouchers ranging from $50 to $150, depending on the type of weapon handed in.
At least two more batches of weapons are expected to arrive in Ukraine, though the announcement did not provide a clear timeline for those.
The Miami project took shape in June last year, with a proposed resolution from then-Commissioner Ken Russell, local outlet Miami New Times reported at the time. The resolution said that the weapons would be shipped with the help of the nonprofit Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA).
Russell, who traveled to Irpin this week at the invitation of the Ukraine Parliament, said: "What you are seeing today has never been done before in the history of the United States. Never before has a US city sent guns to another country. It was very complicated, and I can only take credit for the idea."
"Normally when confiscated these guns would be destroyed," he added. "So this program creates a new precedent where they may serve a higher purpose."
Marian Zablotskyi, a member of Ukraine's Finance Committee, praised both sides for achieving this "powerful goal."
The Biden Administration has played a critical role in helping Ukraine shore up its defense by providing over $43 billion in security aid since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, the State Department said.
But last month Ukrainian President Zelenskyy made another plea for military assistance, urging the US to supply it with long-range weapons and modern aircraft.
"I would really draw attention to long-range armaments," he said, adding: "We have been waiting for this for quite some time."