Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused in a new report Kyiv troops of scattering thousands of antipersonnel landmines in the Ukrainian eastern city of Izium last year, injuring in the process scores of civilians.
As noted in the report, HRW appealed to Ukraine to investigate the apparent use of thousands of rocket-fired antipersonnel landmines by its military in and around Izium when Russian troops occupied the area.
Despite the fact that Ukraine is a state party to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, which prohibits any use of antipersonnel mines, numerous cases were documented by the HRW in which Ukrainian forces have fired rockets carrying PFM antipersonnel mines -also called butterfly or petal mines- near Russian military facilities into Russian-occupied areas.
The NGO said in its report that the mines were fired into the city between April and September of last year. A team of HRW entered Izium in mid-September, following Moscow’s withdrawal, and found the mines in nine locations, including in a kindergarten, in a school, and in a hospital.
Designed to maim rather than kill those unfortunate enough to step on them or pick them up, the Soviet-era PFM mines are distinctively butterfly- or petal-shaped devices dispersed hundreds at a time.
If fitted with timed fuses, the PMF mines would explode up to three days after being dispersed without warning.
PMFs led to at least one death- an elderly man who picked up one of the devices in his yard – while more than 50 civilians, including at least five children, were wounded according to healthcare workers, who noted that around half of the injuries led to amputations of the foot or lower leg.
Confirming that Ukrainian troops appear caused civilian casualties and posed an ongoing risk by extensively scattering landmines around the Izium area, the Arms Division director at HRW, Steve Goose, emphasized that the use of mines by Russian forces doesn’t justify Ukrainian use of these prohibited weapons.
The government in Kyiv insisted that it abides by all of its international obligations when questioned by HRW, but refused to comment on the type of munitions it used in and around Izium.
According to officials in both locations, Ukraine also used PFM mines in Kharkiv and Donetsk last year, as well as across Russia’s Belgorod Region during the bombardment last summer though Kyiv denied the claims.
