The Donbass official urged residents to stay vigilant for banned explosive devices
Ukrainian forces airdropped banned PFM-1 anti-personnel landmines on the capital of the Donetsk People’s Republic on Wednesday night, Mayor Aleksey Kulemzin said.
The mayor wrote on his Telegram channel that mines were discovered on several streets in the northwestern part of the city.
“A bomb squad and rescuers have been working on the site since the early morning. A vehicle equipped with a loudspeaker is alerting local residents,” Kulemzin said, urging people to be vigilant and not approach the mines.
The small butterfly-shaped PFM-1 landmines are banned under the 1997 Ottawa Convention, of which Ukraine is part. Even when they do not kill the victim when stepped on, they often rip the person’s foot off.
Earlier, Lugansk People’s Republic authorities reported finding the PFM-1s in places left by Ukrainian troops after retreating.
Both Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of using internationally banned munitions, as well as shelling residential areas and other civilian targets.
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