Human Rights Watch: Banned mines used in Ukraine
The international non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated in its report on Tuesday that the Ukrainian military fired PFM antipersonnel mines, also known as "butterfly mines" or "petal mines," into the eastern city of Izium while it was occupied by Russia.
According to HRW Arms Division Director Steve Goose, the "Ukrainian forces appear to have extensively scattered landmines around the Izium area, causing civilian casualties and posing an ongoing risk." The organization previously also accused Russia on three separate occasions of using antipersonnel mines last year.
Still, Goose stressed that while Moscow forces "committed atrocities" and employed such mines, this "doesn’t justify Ukrainian use of these prohibited weapons." Ukraine is a party to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty which prohibits such weapons, while Russia and the United States are not.