This step is aimed at strengthening the defense capabilities of Kyiv in the confrontation with the Russian troops, which are conducting offensive actions. US President Joe Biden decided to supply Ukraine with anti-personnel mines. This was reported by the publication on November 19 The Washington Post.
This decision followed the White House’s authorization to use American long-range ATACMS missiles against targets on the territory of Russia. The representative of the publication explained that the type of mines that will be transferred to Ukraine has a self-destructive property: they are either automatically deactivated or lose their battery charge, which minimizes the risk to civilians.
According to the government official, the Ukrainian side promised not to use mines in densely populated areas. According to the source, the use of mines will be limited to Ukrainian territory, in particular, probably concentrated in the east of the country.
Kyiv has been asking for these supplies since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, as Russian forces actively use mines on the front to slow the advance of Ukrainian forces and prevent the return of occupied territories. As of 2022, the US had about three million anti-personnel mines in storage. The last time these munitions were used was in 1991 during the Persian Gulf War.
