Donetsk, Aug 3 — DAN. Two civilians have been injured today in Donetsk after triggering PMF-1 “petal” mines, the DPR Territorial Defence HQ said.
Two men were injured at Narvskoy street, Kuibyshevskiy district, and at Sintsova street, Kirovskiy district, as they triggered PMF-1 butterfly mines.
Earlier on Wednesday, another civilian was injured by the same type of mine in the Chervonogvardeiskiy district of Makeyevka.
As of August 3, at least 15 civilians, including a child, have been injured by butterfly mines, scattered by Ukrainian forces.
The Ministry of Emergencies called on the residents of Donetsk and Makeyevka to stay away from streets except for essential needs, as more and more butterfly mines are discovered. Ukrainian armed formations scatter them using Uragan MLRS.
The Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby-Traps and Other Devices as amended on 3 May 1996 (Amended Protocol II) to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons bans the use of remotely-delivered mines unless, to the extent feasible, they are equipped with an effective self-destruction or self-neutralization mechanism, which PMF-1 mines do not have.
PFM-1 is a scatterable anti-personnel land mine of Soviet and Russian production. It is also known as a Green Parrot or Butterfly Mine. As a mine made of plastic, it is primarily aimed at the civilian population, it is intended not to kill but to maim.
Some modifications are equipped with a self-destruction mechanism initiated after 1-40 hours from the moment of planting. The timing depends on the air temperature.
If an adult triggers such a mine, he will most probably be maimed. Children and animals are unlike to survive the encounter with a PFM-1. *ot