US President Biden approves anti-personnel mines for Ukraine as tensions rise with Russia

US President Joe Biden has authorized the delivery of anti-personnel land mines to Ukraine in a bid to slow the Russian advance in the eastern regions of the country.

Sunita Iyer

First Published Nov 20, 2024, 10:40 AM IST | Last Updated Nov 20, 2024, 10:40 AM IST

US President Joe Biden has authorized the delivery of anti-personnel land mines to Ukraine in a bid to slow the Russian advance in the eastern regions of the country. According to several reports quoting a US official, the mines are expected to be delivered soon, with the understanding that they will be used within Ukrainian territory.

The decision to send these mines is part of a broader US effort to bolster Ukraine’s defense capabilities, particularly as Russian forces have made steady progress in the east over recent months. The official emphasized that Ukraine has committed to using the mines in a manner that avoids civilian-populated areas. This measure aims to strengthen Ukraine's ability to counter the Russian ground forces that have been advancing in strategic regions.

Also read: For the first time, Ukraine fires US-supplied long range missiles into Russia, Kremlin says (WATCH)

How are US mines difference from Russian land mines

This move marks a significant escalation in the types of munitions being provided to Ukraine. The US has already supplied anti-tank mines, but anti-personnel mines will provide Ukraine with an additional tool to delay Russian forces.

The US mines differ from Russia’s land mines in that they are "non-persistent," meaning they will deactivate after a set period, rendering them harmless once the battery used to detonate them expires. This feature is intended to reduce long-term risks to civilians and combatants after the conflict ends.

The news comes at a time when tensions are running high, with Russia recently warning that Western involvement in the war, including the use of advanced US missile systems by Ukraine, could provoke a nuclear response. This follows the use of US ATACMS missiles by Ukraine to strike Russian territory, marking a significant expansion of Western military support for Ukraine.

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin reduced the threshold for a nuclear strike, warning that a wider range of conventional attacks could provoke such a response.

The decision came after months of warnings from Moscow to the West, indicating that if Washington permitted Ukraine to launch U.S., British, and French missiles into Russian territory, Russia would view those NATO members as being directly involved in the war.

Also read: Warning to US? Putin signs Russia's revised nuclear doctrine that lowers threshold for use of nuke weapons

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