War in Ukraine: antipersonnel mines supplied to kyiv, a controversial American decision

Antipersonnel mines soon on the Ukrainian battlefield? This seems to be heading there. A senior American official told AFP this Wednesday, November 20, that the United States would provide Ukraine with “non-persistent antipersonnel mines” in order to strengthen its defenses against the Russian invasion. These would be equipped with a self-destruct or self-deactivation device, with the aim of no longer being dangerous once the war is over.

A decision regretted by the Kremlin – Moscow accuses Washington of wanting “prolong the war” -, but also by a network of non-governmental organizations. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (new window) (ICBL) denounced this Wednesday the decision “disastrous” of the United States. “Ukraine must make it clear that it cannot and will not accept these weapons”writes the ICBL in a press release. The group, Nobel Peace Prize (new window) in 1997, declared that he “will endeavor to get the United States to reverse its decision”.

Already many mines in Ukraine

Because antipersonnel mines pose real security problems. These explosive devices continue to kill and maim people long after conflicts have ended. They are all the more difficult to avoid if they are buried or hidden on the ground. They explode when a person approaches them or comes into contact with them. According to the Landmine Monitor, they caused 833 victims in 2023, compared to 628 a year earlier, all countries combined.

Ukraine is also one of the countries with the most mines. According to the same source, data relating to Ukraine has not yet been sufficiently disaggregated to distinguish victims of anti-personnel mines from other munitions due to the complexity of the ongoing conflict situation. The fact remains that there was indeed a “massive increase in victims of all types in Ukraine”underlines a person responsible for the report. Only in Syria have more victims been recorded, while Ukraine is part of the Ottawa Convention on the Ban and Elimination of Anti-Personnel Mines.

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In total, mines or explosive remnants killed or injured at least 5,757 people in 2023 (compared to 4,710 victims in 2022), including 84% civilians, in around fifty countries, again according to the Landmine Monitor report.