The US Is Sending Antipersonnel Land Mines To Ukraine
November 20, 2024 7:28PM EST
FILE - A Russian military robotic vehicle detonates a land mine on a mine clearing mission to defuse mines along the high voltage line in Mariupol, on the territory which is under the Government of the Donetsk People's Republic control, eastern Ukraine, July 13, 2022. This photo was taken during a trip organized by the Russian Ministry of Defense. (AP Photo, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. decision to provide Ukraine with antipersonnel land mines expands the use of a weapon that the international community has long condemned because of its danger to innocent civilians.
U.S. officials say the mines are needed to help Ukraine stall Russian progress on the battlefield, where Moscow’s forces are moving in smaller ground units on the front lines rather than in more heavily protected armored vehicles.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Wednesday that the U.S. is providing Ukraine land mines that are safer because they lose the ability to detonate over time.
The move was condemned by rights groups like Amnesty International.