More civilians maimed by Ukrainian landmines dropped on Donetsk – mayor

Two people were injured in Donetsk on Sunday as Ukrainian forces continued to bombard the capital of the Donbass republic with anti-personnel landmines, the city’s mayor, Alexey Kulemzin, has said.

The small green butterfly-shaped PFM-1 mines, dubbed ‘petals’ in Russia, are usually launched by artillery or dropped from aircraft. The mayor wrote on his Telegram channel that explosive devices were again found scattered on the streets in several parts of the city.

He urged residents to stay home and be vigilant, as the PFM-1s can be notoriously difficult to spot when dropped on lawns and other green areas.

According to Kulemzin, two people were injured by such mines on Sunday, including a first responder who lost his foot in an explosion.

Photos and videos from Donetsk show people placing cardboard boxes over the mines that lie on the ground and marking the surrounding areas with warning signs.

City officials said Donetsk was repeatedly showered with mines this week. Kulemzin reported on Saturday that bomb units had disposed of more than 600 of them over the course of two days.

The PFM-1s are banned under the 1997 Ottawa Convention, to which Ukraine is party. Even when they do not kill the victim when stepped on, the mines often rip the person’s foot off.

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