Dangerous finds on the streets: an explosives technician explained how Russians disguise explosives for civilians

The mine threat during war has long gone beyond fields, forest belts and post-combat areas, as explosive devices can appear where people least expect a threat. For civilians, objects that have a familiar appearance and are capable of provoking natural curiosity pose a particular risk, as a person may want to pick them up, open them, turn them on or take them with them.

A person may pass by debris, a crater or damaged equipment, but an abandoned flashlight, bag, power bank or children’s toy can cause a different reaction, because such things are associated with benefit, accidental loss or children’s curiosity. This is one of the most dangerous forms of mining of civilian space.

Vice-President of the All-Ukrainian Association of Explosives Technicians and lecturer at the National Academy of Internal Affairs Yuriy Prykhodko said that an improvised explosive device can be hidden in almost any object if its shape allows it to hide the explosive substance and the triggering mechanism. For this, Russians use things that do not look suspicious to a person without special training: boxes, bags, suitcases, mobile phones, laptops, power banks, flashlights and even children’s toys.

This method of disguise is not designed for a technical error of the victim, but for natural human behavior. An adult may pick up a power bank because it seems useful, a child may take a toy because they perceive it as a find, and a passerby may touch a bag or box to check who it belongs to. Prykhodko actually warns that the familiarity of an object in wartime cannot be a sign of safety, since the trap is created so that a person himself shortens the distance to the danger.

A separate example given by the specialist concerns the Kharkiv region, where explosives were placed in ordinary flashlights. Inside such devices there could be approximately 20–30 grams of plastid, and the device was triggered when turned on. For a civilian, a flashlight may seem like a useful thing, especially in conditions of damaged infrastructure, power outages, or traveling in the dark, but the built-in charge turns a simple action into a moment of destruction.

Yuriy Prykhodko draws attention to an important pattern: the larger the object, the more explosives can be placed in it, and therefore, the consequences can be more serious. At the same time, even a small object cannot be underestimated, because a compact charge can injure a person holding it in their hands or standing nearby. For comparison, the specialist mentions combat grenades: the F-1 contains about 60 grams of explosives, and the fragments can fly a considerable distance; the RGD-5 has more explosives, and the area of ​​impact is also dangerous for people around.

What is especially alarming in Prykhodko’s explanation is that traps can appear in places that civilians perceive as a space for recreation or daily movement. Parks, playgrounds, yards, recreation areas and roadsides become dangerous when things that can attract attention are left in them. In such places, the risk is exacerbated by the presence of children, who are more likely to react to bright or familiar objects and lack the experience to assess the threat.

According to Yuriy Prykhodko, a civilian cannot reliably identify an explosive device by its appearance, weight, condition of the case, or location. The object may be clean, intact, expensive-looking, or left as if it had been accidentally lost, but none of these signs guarantee safety. Trying to check the find with your hands, turning on the device, opening a bag, or moving a box may be the very action the mechanism is designed to take.

“The larger the object, the more explosives can be placed in it – and the more serious the consequences. Such devices can be disguised as anything: boxes, bags, suitcases, power banks, mobile phones, laptops or even children’s toys.

This is especially dangerous in crowded places – in parks, playgrounds or recreation areas. That is why any incomprehensible object should be considered potentially dangerous. The occupiers do not neglect any methods of disguise – they use objects that can arouse interest in a person and encourage them to pick them up or use them. And this is precisely the main danger,” — concluded Yuriy Prykhodko.

Therefore, the main rule that follows from the explanations of the explosives technician is to completely refuse to contact any suspicious or incomprehensible thing. A person needs to move to a safe distance, warn others, especially children, do not approach the object, and notify the appropriate services. In such a situation, caution is not an exaggeration, because in wartime conditions, the familiar shape of an object can hide a charge, and a simple hand movement can trigger a dangerous mechanism.