Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) has initiated proceedings to sell a cache of weapons seized from a former territorial defense brigade commander in the Zaporizhzhia region. This marks the first instance of such weaponry being transferred to ARMA for subsequent sale.

In accordance with a court order submitted by the prosecutor, assets seized by officers of the State Bureau of Investigation in the city of Zaporizhzhia during investigative actions were transferred to ARMA for management. The seized arsenal includes self-loading carbines, rifles, a self-loading pistol, and a pump-action shotgun.

The pre-trial investigation revealed that the former official had unlawfully distributed combat allowances to his wife and other individuals by falsely claiming they had participated in active hostilities.

"This case is unprecedented for the National Agency. For the first time in history, ARMA will sell seized confiscated weapons which require a special approach and compliance with all legal requirements. We will ensure full transparency of the procedure and maximum efficiency in returning the proceeds to the state budget," said the Head of ARMA Olena Duma.

The National Agency is taking measures to gather and analyze information regarding the transferred assets. Upon completion of this stage, a competitive selection of an appraiser will be announced to determine the value of the collection, and a separate competitive selection of legal entities responsible for selling the asset will be launched. Subsequently, the weapons will be sold through the Prozorro.Sale system.