“Ukrainian forces have widely scattered landmines around the Izium area, causing civilian casualties and posing a continuing threat,” said Steve Goose, director of the arms division at Human Rights Watch.
“Russian forces have repeatedly used antipersonnel mines and committed atrocities across the country, but this does not justify Ukrainian use of these banned weapons,” he said.
Ukraine is a party to the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and their Destruction. Russia is not. Moscow has denied targeting civilians or committing war crimes.
Human Rights Watch stated that the use of antipersonnel mines also violates international humanitarian law because the devices cannot discriminate between civilians and combatants.