You guys got hosed, really
First the OPs article are without reference. and I cannot find any article in any circulation on the title, suggested that is either a fake article or simply untrustworthy article.
Secondly, Vepr is an "UKRAINE" weapon, not "RUSSIAN", vepr is made in Ukraine in 2003, last I check, Ukraine is applying to join NATO.
Thirdly, there are still quite a quantity of ex-soviet bloc country, now NATO (Poland, Latvia, Romania, Hungary) using soviet or Russian weapon that left behind, I don't see any problem with that.