Due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Adrian Kellgren’s firearms shop in Florida was left holding a $200,000 cargo of semiautomatic rifles after a longstanding customer in Ukraine suddenly fell silent during Vladimir Putin’s invasion of the nation.
Unsure what to do with the overstock, Kellgren and his company KelTec opted to put those four hundred rifles to good use, shipping them to Ukraine to assist the resistance movement in its fight against the Russian military, which has been shelling civilian targets such as apartments and hospitals regularly for nearly a month, Fox 8 Cleveland reports.
Kellgren, a retired U.S. Navy pilot, said he feels compassion for Ukrainians and their current struggle.
“The American people want to do something,” he said. “We enjoy our freedoms; we cherish those things. And when we see a group of people out there getting hammered like this, it’s heartbreaking.”
However, many such grassroots attempts have been hampered by a lack of familiarity with the complicated web of rules that regulate the overseas transportation of such equipment.
To transport even non-lethal tactical gear, the State, Commerce, and Defense Departments must approve the shipment.
For Kellgren, who has been dealing with bureaucratic red tape for years, connecting with a representative in the Ukrainian Embassy through a neighboring country was a game-changer. Kellgren said he learned he could get a government arms export license from the U.S. in only four days. In contrast, during regular circumstances, it is not uncommon for this process to take many months.
Meanwhile, staff at KelTec’s warehouse picked up four plastic-wrapped pallets holding 9 mm folding rifles for transfer to an unnamed NATO site. The weapons will then be smuggled into the fighting zone by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.
“The true daring and courage come then,” Kellgren said.
KelTec plans to send more in the future, and has promised the Ukrainians its manufacturer and weekly supplies.
The contribution by KelTec, based in Cocoa, Florida, is just one example of Americans collecting weapons, ammunition, body armor, helmets, and other combat gear to assist Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his commitment to equipping the country’s civilians.
Authorities and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) from California to New York claim they have gathered thousands of pieces of protective gear and millions of bullets for Ukraine.
Along with KelTec, another Florida firm, Adams Arms, shared a video on Facebook depicting a delivery of carbine rifles intended for Ukraine.
Adams Arms also sells T-shirts with the iconic last broadcast of a Ukrainian Border Guard unit that told a Russian warship, “Go [expletive] Yourself!” The money from shirt sales will go to the Ukraine National Bank’s war funds.
A program to collect excess police and sheriff’s equipment was launched last week by Colorado Governor Jared Polis, ABC 10 reports.
“We know it can help deter Putin and preserve Ukraine,” Polis said.
CNBC reports Maryland real estate attorney Lukas Jan Kaczmarek is helping get weapons to Ukraine by volunteering with the Ukrainian-American Bar Association and Volodymyr Muzylov, the Ukraine Embassy’s first secretary.
“I anticipate acting in this position throughout the Russian invasion to Ukraine,” Kaczmarek said.
Some of the American assistance initiatives to Ukraine have gone better than others. A New York City group collecting military gear had four hundred protective vests stolen before delivery.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, a gun makers trade association, sent out step-by-step instructions for transporting equipment to 8,000 members. They also submitted a list of required sniper rifles, handguns, and ammo.
Semiautomatic rifles may be more significant than sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles and possibly more valuable to the people of Ukraine. According to retired U.S. Army Major John Spencer, weapons cannot compete with Putin’s Sukhoi fighter jets and cluster bombs.
While rifles are no match for Putin’s firepower of Sukhoi fighter jets and cluster bombs, the guns can play an essential role if the Russians get bogged down in street-to-street combat, Spencer said.
He added that it may be even more essential to have semiautomatic rifles than high-tech, anti-aircraft missiles, as they require a lot of training that most people in Ukraine do not have. Many people have never even held a gun before, Spencer said.
“Every shipment of firearms is critical,” said Spencer. “You’re giving one more fighter the opportunity to resist with a simple-to-use weapon out of tens of thousands.”