Russia has mined about 80,000 square kilometers in Ukraine, - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Russia is increasing the use of banned anti-personnel mines in Ukraine and is even testing new models of these munitions.
This is stated in a statement by the Foreign Ministry on the occasion of the International Day for Mine Awareness, as reported by Censor.NET.
The Foreign Ministry noted that after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, the problem of mines and explosive remnants of the war became particularly acute, although Russia has polluted Ukrainian land for the past eight years in a row.
In this context, Ukrainian diplomats said that due to the first wave of Russian armed aggression against Ukraine in 2014, about 16,000 square km needed to be cleaned in Luhansk and Donetsk regions, and today, according to preliminary estimates, it is about 80 thousand square km of the territory of Ukraine.
"While the entire civilized world is abandoning and banning anti-personnel mines, Russia is increasing their use in Ukraine and even testing new-type anti-personnel mines such as POM-3 (Medallion) and others," the statement said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Foreign Ministry stressed that the Russian military is setting up traps banned by international law en masse. As they retreat, they mine food, private housing, and corpses.
The Foreign Ministry called on Ukrainians to be as vigilant as possible, remembering the danger of mines. And the world community - to strengthen support for Ukraine to stop the catastrophic increase in the number of victims of mines and explosives in the heart of Europe.
