Advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Ukraine to investigate its military’s "apparent" use of rocket-fired antipersonnel landmines in and around the eastern city of Izium when Russian forces occupied the area.
In new research published Tuesday, HRW said it documented "numerous cases in which rockets carrying PFM antipersonnel mines, also called 'butterfly mines' or 'petal mines,' were fired into Russian-occupied areas near Russian military facilities."
“Ukrainian forces appear to have extensively scattered landmines around the Izium area, causing civilian casualties and posing an ongoing risk,” Arms Division director at HRW Steve Goose said.
“Russian forces have repeatedly used antipersonnel mines and committed atrocities across the country, but this doesn’t justify Ukrainian use of these prohibited weapons," Goose added.
"The use of antipersonnel mines violates international humanitarian law because they cannot discriminate between civilians and combatants," HRW said.
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said the report will be "duly analyzed by the relevant Ukrainian institutions."
"Ukraine, exercising its right to self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter, fully fulfills its international obligations against the background of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide of the Ukrainian people committed by the Russian occupiers," the ministry said in response to the HRW report.
Ukrainian forces retook Izium in September 2022, after six months of Russian occupation, marking a huge strategic loss for the Russian military.