Russia has widely deployed landmines since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but international objections to the use of such weapons on the grounds that they pose a danger to civilians have prevented the Biden administration from going along with them.
A spokesman for the US Department of Defense confirmed to the BBC that Ukraine has promised to use only mines that remain active for a limited period of time.
American “unstable” mines differ from Russian ones in that they become inert after a predetermined period of time – from four hours to two weeks. They are electric floats and require battery power to detonate. If the battery dies, they will not detonate.
Washington already provided Ukraine with anti-tank mines, but the anti-personnel land mines, which can be deployed quickly, are designed to blunt ground offensives.
Russia and the US are not signatories to the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of the Use or Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines, although Ukraine has. However, since the full-scale Russian invasion, more than 20% of Ukraine is estimated to be infested with landmines.
US missiles from the Army’s Longer Range Tactical Missile System (Atacms) were previously confirmed to have struck targets in Russia just days after reports emerged that the White House had authorized their use.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said that the strike was carried out on Tuesday morning in the Bran region, which borders Ukraine in the north.
It said that five missiles were shot down and one caused damage – its fragments caused a fire at a military facility.
But two US officials said initial indications were that Russia had intercepted only two of the roughly eight missiles fired by Ukraine.
The BBC was unable to independently verify the conflicting figures.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Washington of trying to escalate the conflict.
The Kremlin promised to take measures in response.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, setting new conditions under which the country will consider using its arsenal.
It now says that an attack by a non-nuclear state, if supported by a nuclear state, would be considered a joint attack on Russia.
Commenting on the changes, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: “Since the beginning of its aggressive war against Ukraine, (Russia) has sought to coerce and intimidate both Ukraine and the rest of the world through irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behavior.”
Additional reporting by Paul Adams, the BBC’s diplomatic correspondent, from Dnieper, Ukraine
