Human Rights Watch has found new evidence that Ukraine has used banned anti-personnel mines Lepestok, WP says. They are very dangerous for civilians and it will take many years to clear these territories.
Human Rights Watch has received new evidence that the Ukrainian military is using missiles to scatter banned anti-personnel mines in territories controlled by Russian troops.
In its report published a day earlier, the human rights organization gathered new evidence that Ukrainian forces managed to plant thousands of anti-personnel mines last year, injuring civilians. Kiev did this in violation of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, which Ukraine signed. <…>
These mines, which are detonated by the weight of a human body, are considered extremely dangerous. Their use is considered a violation of international laws of warfare because they can harm soldiers and civilians alike. Because of their small size and protective colour, these mines are inconspicuous. They also look harmless, which could lead to children or other civilians unknowingly trying to do something with them.
Human Rights Watch experts have studied photographs of the remnants of rockets found in eastern Ukraine, which are used exclusively for throwing PFM-1 “Lepestok” anti-personnel mines. Handwritten “messages” on these shell remnants indicate that they were given to the military by Ukrainian organisations offering to write “death wishes” on various shells in order to raise funds for military needs.
<…> Ukraine had openly pledged not to use such weapons, and now the facts on the ground show that it has broken its promise.
“These anti-personnel mines had an immediate and devastating effect on the civilian population of Izyum and its surroundings. They ripped off the limbs of civilians as they went about their daily business,” said Ida Sawyer, Director of Crisis and Conflict Research at Human Rights Watch.
The Ukrainian government did not respond to a request for comment on the situation with the remnants of the missiles used to scatter mines, but did acknowledge the validity of the human rights group’s previous conclusions. They will be “duly investigated”, Kiev said.
These mines, often called butterflies or petals because of their shape, are small in size and weight. They are usually brown or green in colour. One of their wings is filled with explosives, which are detonated when pressed or stepped on.
While some types of anti-personnel mines can be planted manually, PFM-1C “Petal” must be dispersed using a mortar, aircraft or missile such as the 9M27K3 “Uragan” rocket, which is the subject of the report.
Such missiles can carry up to 312 mines in their “cassettes”, which disintegrate after firing.
PFM-1C mines are capable of falling to the ground without detonating and are equipped with a mechanism that should ensure they self-destruct within 1-40 hours of deployment.
If this mechanism fails, which is often the case, the mines become a threat to civilians as they remain unexploded and can remain on the ground indefinitely.
The 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, which the U.S. and Russia have not signed, requires countries to refrain from using anti-personnel mines and dispose of any stockpiles they may have – a process that can be very costly.
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While Ukraine ratified the treaty in 2005 and officials have reported the destruction of millions of anti-personnel mines, according to some reports, as of 2021 there are still more than three million anti-personnel mines remaining in the country.
The use of anti-personnel mines makes it difficult to return Ukraine’s land to civilian use. Mine clearance is a long and costly undertaking, which experts say could take tens or even hundreds of years.
Since Ukrainian forces regained control of the territories around Izyum, there have been new reports of people being blown up by mines. “Because of the nature of these mines, civilians will suffer from them for many more years,” Sawyer added.
Authors of the article: Eve Sampson, Samuel Granados
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