The US has been criticised by humanitarian organisations for deciding to supply Ukraine with landmines, as the war in eastern Europe rages on.In an interview with the BBC, Human Rights Watch director Mary Wareham said the decision marked a “shocking and devastating development” for those working to eradicate anti-personnel landmines. The approval from Washington is an attempt to slow down Russian troops, who have been steadily advancing into Ukraine’s east in recent months.US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said they made their decision because of how Russia had changed its tactics on the battlefield – sending in troops first rather than “mechanised forces”.Ms Wareham’s stance was echoed by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), which condemned the US decision “in the strongest possible terms”.”These horrific, indiscriminate weapons were banned by the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty given the devastating impact they have on civilians’ lives and livelihoods,” the statement from the ICBL’s director, Tamar Gabelnick, added.Under the treaty, “there are no circumstances under which Ukraine as a state party may acquire, stockpile or use them”, she added.The use of landmines is not illegal under international law. But more than 160 nations have signed the Mine Ban Treaty which commits to banning the production, use and stockpiling of anti-personnel mines. Ukraine is a signatory to this treaty.However, after Russia’s illegal occupation of Crimea in 2014, Ukraine informed fellow signatories that its application of the treaty in the occupied areas would be is “limited and is not guaranteed”. Ms Wareham from Human Rights Watch added: “So much progress has been made over the past 25 years under the framework provided by the international treaty banning landmines. So it’s just inconceivable that the US would take this step.”Anti-personnel landmines are explosives which are often concealed on the ground and designed to detonate when people step over or near them.Russian forces have been using landmines widely in Ukraine – since it launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia has deployed landmines to both defend their positions and slow down the Ukrainians.One of campaigners’ main concerns in regards to landmines is the danger these weapons present to civi …
