Ilsur Metshin: «Having enough of rifles will ensure that the team completes the task and safe lives»

Today, the Mayor of Kazan took part in the «Handing over rifles and ammunition to fighters of the special military operation» campaign and handed over an IZH-27 rifle and 250 rounds of ammunition to a military unit. Residents of the city can participate in this program. Since the beginning of the initiative, residents of Tatarstan have donated 728 rifles and over 25,000 rounds of ammunition.

The campaign started in August 2024. The need for active citizen involvement in collecting guns was announced at a meeting of the coordinating council on the special military operation, therefore the Mayor of the city responded to this request. Ilsur Metshin handed over an IZH-27 rifle and 250 rounds of ammunition to a military unit operating in the area of a special operation.

«Having enough of rifles will ensure that the team completes the task and safe lives. We send best regards to our fighters, we are waiting for victory. Let the guns shoot down drones as intended, and you will return home safely», – Ilsur Metshin said.

The Mayor’s smoothbore rifle was accepted by the commander of the military department with a nickname «Bars». He is soon leaving for the front. He said that guns are the most effective, and in fact, the only means against fiber-optic FPV drones. «Bars» said that if two rifles are allocated to an assault group, the probability of completing a combat mission doubles.

Timur Yetkeyev, the head of the «For Peaceful Sky» charitable foundation confirms that rifles are essential for every second soldier. The front lines stretch for almost 2,000 kilometers, and the depth of penetration of unmanned aerial vehicles can reach up to 40 kilometers. Representatives from three military units are expected to arrive to receive weapons shortly.

The Licensing Department of the Kazan Office of the Russian Guard at 16 Lazareva Street accepts rifles. Representatives of military units come to collect rifles for export to their areas. No appointment needed to visit the Department and bring weapon.

Currently, more than 35 military units have already received 728 weapons and 25,000 rounds of ammunition. The priority is for multi-shot smoothbore rifles, such as Saiga-12, Vepr, IZH, and others.

To date, approximately 39,000 gun owners have registered in Tatarstan with more than 44,000 weapons registered.