An “antipersonnel mine”
The US will give Ukraine “non-persistent anti-personnel mines” equipped with self-destruction or self-deactivation devices. Zelenskyy thanked him and stated that these controversial explosives will be “very important” for the country’s defense.
Buried or hidden in the ground, anti-personnel mines They explode when someone approaches or comes into contact with them, often causing mutilation or even death.
They are essentially used in armed conflicts to restrict the movement of enemy troops and protect strategic areas.
The mines do not distinguish between soldiers and civilians and they continue to explode long after they have been placed, potentially affecting everyone.
This type of explosives therefore represents a significant threat to civilian populations, especially in post-conflict regionsand may remain active for decades, in any space or terrain.
Em 1997some 164 states and territories, including Ukraine, have signed the Ottawa Convention on prohibition and elimination of anti-personnel mines.
However, Neither Russia nor the United States have ratified the convention.
The Russian army has used these explosives “extensively” on Ukrainian territory since the large-scale invasion in February 2022, with “at least 13 types of anti-personnel mines deployed”, according to a report published this Thursday by Landmine Monitor.
This Thursday, Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyystated that the anti-personnel mines supplied by Washington to Kiev, under criticism from several non-governmental organizations (NGOs), are “very important” to stop the advance of the Russian army in the east of the country.
The Ukrainian leader welcomed the provision of a new tranche of US military aid, which includes anti-personnel land mines “very important (…) to stop Russian attacks”as Moscow’s army advances against the less numerous and less well armed Ukrainian troops.
US reinforces Ukrainian arsenal
On Tuesday, the US Department of Defense USA announced the donation of at least 260 million euros for Ukraine in new weaponsbefore Donald Trump takes office as President, on January 20, 2025.
Several NGOs criticized the United States’ decision, calling it “unjustifiable” and highlighting the long-term consequences of these internationally banned weapons for civilians, despite being intended to stop the Russian advance into Ukrainian territory.
This latest supply of military material occurs at a time when Concerns about the worsening of the conflict have increased.
Last weekend, US President Joe Biden granted Ukraine US manufacturing against Russia.
Subsequently, the Russian President Vladimir Putin reacted with the expansion of Russian doctrine on the use of .
Joe’s administration Biden is rushing to do as much as you can to help Kiev to fight Russia in the two months that remain for the current North American President, as the aid package has yet to be approved.
Asked on Tuesday whether a Ukrainian attack with long-range US missiles could potentially trigger the use of nuclear weapons, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded affirmatively.
Peskov pointed to the doctrine provision that keeps the door open after a conventional attack that raises critical threats to the “sovereignty and territorial integrity” of Russia and its ally Belarus.
Under anonymity, a North American source, cited by the Associated Press (AP) news agency, said that the United States see no indication that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
A US official, who also declined to be identified, said that Ukraine fired eight ATACMS missiles at Russia on Tuesday and that only two were intercepted, and that an assessment of the damage caused to an ammunition warehouse in Karachev, in Bryansk region.
This Thursday, the .
