U.S. President Joe Biden has approved the delivery of anti-personnel mines to Ukraine to help slow Russia’s progress in the eastern regions, The Washington Post (WP) and other outlets reported on November 19, citing unnamed U.S. officials.
This decision follows the Biden administration's earlier authorization of U.S.-made long-range missiles, which Ukraine reportedly used to strike Russian territory.
While Kyiv has not officially confirmed these claims, reports suggest that U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles were deployed in Russia’s Bryansk Oblast.
The transfer of anti-personnel mines is likely to spark controversy as it conflicts with the Ottawa Convention—the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty—signed by over 160 countries. Neither the United States nor Russia are signatories to the treaty.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Washington has supplied Ukraine with anti-tank mines, while Ukrainian forces have been seeking infantry mines for years.
Moscow, meanwhile, has deployed anti-personnel mines extensively, hindering Ukrainian military advances on the front line.
Biden had previously been hesitant to supply these mines due to concerns within his administration and the potential risks to civilians. However, escalating Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine, combined with the threat of more towns and cities falling, appear to have influenced the decision, U.S. officials told the WP.
"Russia is attacking Ukrainian lines in the east with waves of troops, regardless of the casualties they’re suffering," one official said. "So, the Ukrainians are obviously taking losses, and more towns and cities are at risk of falling. These mines were made specifically to combat exactly this."
The mines being supplied to Ukraine are reportedly designed to be "non-persistent," meaning they self-destruct or lose functionality within days or weeks to reduce risks to civilians, according to one U.S. official. Additionally, Kyiv has committed to not deploying these mines in densely populated areas.
