The NGO Human Right Watch (HRW) has accused Ukraine of the apparent military use of thousands of rocket-launched anti-personnel landmines in the eastern Ukrainian town of Izium as Russian forces left the area, urging Ukrainian authorities to launch an investigation.
The organization has documented numerous cases in which rockets with PFM anti-personnel mines, also called butterfly mines or petal mines, have been fired at Russian-occupied areas near Russian military installations, it said in a statement.
«Ukrainian forces appear to have scattered landmines extensively around the Izium area, causing civilian casualties and posing a continuing risk,» said HRW Weapons Division director Steve Goose.
Recalling that it has previously published as many as three reports documenting the use of anti-personnel landmines by Russian forces in Ukraine, the NGO has reiterated to the Ukrainian authorities that the use of these devices violates international humanitarian law because they cannot discriminate between civilians and combatants.
«Russian forces have repeatedly used anti-personnel mines and committed atrocities throughout the country, but this does not justify Ukraine’s use of these banned weapons,» Goose reiterated, recalling that Ukraine is a party to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, which prohibits any use of anti-personnel mines.
In this regard, HRW said that the mines laid by Ukraine work only when they are dispersed by aircraft, rockets and artillery, or when they are fired from specialized vehicles or launchers.
PFM mines were reportedly located in nine different areas in and around the city of Izium, for which at least 11 civilian victims of these mines have been verified.
In addition, health workers consulted by HRW have stated that they have treated nearly 50 civilians, including at least five children, who were apparently injured by anti-personnel mines in the area during or after the Russian military occupation.
Approximately half of the injuries involved traumatic amputations of the foot or lower leg, injuries consistent with PFM explosive mines.
All in all, the organization has stressed that the Russian Army seized Izium and surrounding areas on April 1, 2022 and exercised full control there until early September, when Ukrainian forces launched a counteroffensive. During their occupation, Russian forces arbitrarily detained, interrogated and tortured residents and, in some cases, forcibly disappeared and killed civilians.
More than 100 residents of Izium and the surrounding area have told HRW that Russian forces posted and distributed leaflets warning about the danger of landmines. They also removed landmines from public areas and private property of civilians and took some mine victims to Russia for medical care.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
