Because of, rather than in spite of one of the world’s highest murder rates, Russian gun laws have now been relaxed, International Business Times reported Wednesday. Previously permitted for sporting purposes such as target practice and hunting, Russians, the story claims, will now be lawfully allowed to carry guns for self defense.

While Russian violent crime has fallen in recent years, its murder rate is still fifth highest in the world, and is much higher than that in the United States, the report documents. The move to liberalize gun laws there contrasts with well-financed efforts to increase restrictions in this country, despite documentation from the Bureau of Justice Statistics that prompted Forbes to acknowledge, “As gun sales soar, gun crimes plummet.”

The change in law also stands in sharp contrast with statements offered by Vladimir Putin in April of last year following a shooting in Belgrade, despite his personal affinity for firearms of all types. The Russian president made his opposition to loosening gun laws known at that time.