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Biden approves anti-personnel mines for Ukraine: new course
The Biden administration is authorizing the shipment of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine for the first time, a landmark step to support defense against Russian troops.
Biden approves anti-personnel mines for Ukraine: new course
The Biden administration has authorized anti-personnel landmines for the first time Ukraine to deliver what represents a significant policy change. This decision came just days after the US Ukraine permission to fire long-range missiles at targets in Russia. This turn of events came after months of negotiations on the part of Kyiv.
Objective of delivery
The US intends for Kiev to use the anti-personnel mines in the east of the country, where Russian troops are making slow but steady progress against Ukrainian defense lines. These grueling battles have cost Moscow enormously, with Ukraine claiming Russia suffered the highest casualties this week. However, Russia's relentless pressure, coupled with a shortage of Ukrainian troops and ammunition, has allowed Russia's military to gradually capture more territory.
Defensive use in focus
The US expects the anti-personnel mines to be used to strengthen defense lines on sovereign Ukrainian territory, not as an offensive weapon in Russia. In addition, the US government has demanded assurances that Ukraine will strive to the risk to civilians through these mines to minimize.
A controversial policy change
The administration's decision was first from the Washington Post reported. Already in the early days of the war, the United States had provided Ukraine with anti-tank mines to reduce Russia's numerical superiority in armored vehicles. However, to date, the Biden administration had not delivered anti-personnel landmines due to concerns about the dangers involved. Human rights groups have long criticized the use of anti-personnel landmines because they can claim lives indiscriminately and remain operational for years, long after the conflict in which they were used has ended.
Obligations to limit
In June 2022, four months after the start of war in Ukraine, the Biden administration promised to limit the use of anti-personnel mines. At the announcement of this decision, which is a turnaround from that previous Trump administration The White House said there was a “need to reduce the use of anti-personnel landmines worldwide.” The USA announced that it would no longer develop or export anti-personnel mines and would dismantle existing stocks (with the exception of South Korea).
New mine types for Ukraine
The delivery of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine, especially just weeks before the end of the Biden administration, represents an abrupt shift in long-standing policy. The type of mines the US is supplying to Ukraine is described as “non-persistent.” This means they have an internal mechanism to shorten the life of the igniter. These mines are designed to become inactive after a set period of time, ranging from just four hours to two weeks. The mines use electric ignition, which requires a battery, and become inert when the battery runs out.
Russia's use of mines
Russia has used anti-personnel and anti-tank mines since the first days of the war. As Russian troops advanced into Ukraine and established their own defense lines, they laid minefields to slow possible Ukrainian counterattacks. Last summer, when Ukrainian forces launched an ultimately unsuccessful counterattack, a Ukrainian official described the Density of Russian mines as “crazy”.