Alleged Use of Anti-personnel Mines by Ukraine

04-02-2023

Jakob Lindelöf

Europe and Human Rights Researcher, 

Global Human Rights Defence

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has come out with a report alleging  that the Ukrainian military has been using anti-personnel landmines in its defense against Russia. This comes from evidence found in the city of Izium which was liberated last September. Ukraine is party to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, which was  signed in 1999 and ratified in 2005 (Ukraine: Banned Landmines, 2023). The treaty prohibits the use of landmines with the purpose of targeting people, but does not ban the use of mines targeting vehicles. HRW has called upon Ukrainian authorities to investigate the use of these mines by Ukrainian forces.

HRW found that mines launched by Ukraine had landed in various civilian areas with healthcare workers in the area reporting that they had treated 50 people for injuries related to anti-personnel mines (Stern, 2023).  The use of mines in the war means that alongside its intended use of stopping and slowing the movement of enemies, it also prevents humanitarian workers and aid from reaching areas in critical need of supplies (Rahn, 2023). The risks posed by mines also leave areas inhabitable, displacing people from their homes (Ukraine: Banned Landmines, 2023).

The use of mines have long-term impact not only due to the physical injuries, but also to the mental and psychological impacts they have on those exposed to them. Land mines are difficult to remove safely, and the clearing of these mines in Ukraine is reported to take decades (Klain, 2022). In the meantime as explosives remain in the country it will continue to impact those living there.

While Ukraine has been accused of using anti-personnel landmines, Russia has also been found of using anti-personnel landmines in its invasion of Ukraine, however they are not a signatory to the Mine Ban Treaty. Despite this, according to HRW their use is a violation of international humanitarian law as their use does not differentiate between combatants and non-combatants (Stern, 2023). Russia has been accused of laying mined traps amongst everyday household items and even mining bodies, which explode when moved (Klain, 2023).

Sources and Further Reading:

Human Rights Watch. (2023, January 31). Ukraine: Banned Landmines Harm Civilians. Human Rights Watch. Retrieved from https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/01/31/ukraine-banned-landmines-harm-civilians 

Klain, D. (2022, September 15). Russia is seeding Ukraine’s soil with land mines. Foreign Policy. Retrieved from https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/09/15/russia-ukraine-land-mines/ 

Rahn, W. (2023, January 24). Ukrainian Red Cross warns of land mine threat ‘for decades’. Deutsche Welle. Retrieved from https://www.dw.com/en/ukrainian-red-cross-warns-of-land-mine-threat-for-decades/a-64504735 

Stern, D, L. (2023, January 31). Ukraine accused of using banned mines in Izyum. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/01/31/ukraine-land-mines-russia/