Occupiers use banned anti-personnel mines in Kharkiv and Sumy regions

The Russian occupiers are placing banned mines with seismic sensors in the occupied territories of Sumy and Kharkiv regions.

This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch.

On March 28, Ukrainian sappers confirmed the use of the latest POM-3 Medallion anti-personnel mines by Russian invaders.

Such mines are produced only by Russia.

They use seismic sensors that distinguish human walking. After the signal on the sensor is triggered, the warhead flies into the air at a distance of 1-1.5 meters and explodes. Explosives and metal plates flying out of the warhead can kill people within a 16-meter radius, and, at best, can cause serious injury.

At the same time, it is known from open information about the technology of this mine that it has a mechanism of self-destruction, and in a few hours or days after its placement, it deactivates itself.

Human Rights Watch stressed that such mines are banned by the 1997 Ottawa International Convention, signed by 169 countries. Russia hasn't signed this agreement.

Human rights activists have suggested that the mines were planted by launching special long-range missiles with landmines from the Zedeledie system. The organization's report shared a video of such systems allegedly being launched in the Kharkiv region and published on social media on March 26.

HRW representatives called on Russia to stop using mines prohibited by international humanitarian law and stressed that the Ukrainian army does not have such mines or appropriate means of remote mining.

The General Staff urged civilians not to approach such mines and to immediately report to the police or other representatives of the security forces of Ukraine.