Americans companies send Ukraine thousands of AR-15s

American citizens and companies are going one step further in providing support to Ukraine, with one gun manufacturer even about to send thousands of AR-15s weapons.

The company, Adams Arms, is sending its first shipment of 2,500 piston driven, semi-automatic AR-15 style rifles to Kyiv, where it hopes to help arm civilians who stayed in the country to fight against the Russians.

Jason East, the company’s President, said: “We’re just a passionate group of people, and when liberty or freedom is in jeopardy then you know, we take that personally. For us to be able to help has just been an overwhelming feeling, and I’m proud of my team.”

The company has worked with gun distributors in Ukraine for more than five years, with itrs weapons selling out in days after the invasion. Now the company is sending a bigger shipment at a hugely reduced fee that will cost it $300,000 (273,000 euros), but they believe that it is an honour to help.

East added: “The good thing about being a private business is, you know, government has bureaucracy and red tape. Sometimes it takes longer, you know, as a private company, we were able to react really, really quickly.”

Continuing he said their distributors in Ukraine needed stocks fast adding that: “It’s that demand that led them back to us. And said that they needed an immediate order. Our specific resource is still there in the area. He’s just outside of Kyiv. We talk with him almost on a daily basis. Some of his immediate family has left the country and gone to some neighbouring areas within Europe, but he has chosen to stay there, you know, do his job, distribute weapons to civilians, and then join in the effort himself.”

The company says that it is doing everything by the work, working the US Commerce Department and other business partners to put proper licensing and logistics into place to ensure firearms would arrive safely.

Bemoaning the delay in getting the arms shipped East said: “The shipment was supposed to leave a couple of days before the Russian invasion. Obviously after that happened, we weren’t able to fly within 100 miles of the Ukrainian border. And so ordinarily, to get a permit approved through the Department of Commerce is usually about a 30-day process for us. So we’re sitting here wondering what we were going to do, thankfully the Department of Commerce worked very quickly.”

According to the company the arms are being shipped to Poland where they will be handed over, with each shipment staggered and parts shipped separately to limit the possibility of interception and use.

East finishes by saying: “As a veteran I served and a lot of other people served because we wanted to make a difference. And if you remember when 911 happened, a lot of people joined the military here…  And for Ukraine, this is that moment for them. This is the moment for them, where they have to stand up and defend their country.” 

The shipment of thousands of AR-15s to Ukraine by the American gun manufacture is evidence of the extent to which the country has enjoyed support from around the world, with so many private individuals filling in where governments can’t.

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