Donetsk, Aug 29 — DAN. Ukrainian armed formations scattered butterfly mines over Gorlovka, the mines have been discovered in multiple places, the DPR Territorial Defence HQ said.
“Ukrainian militants delivered a rocket strike on the town scattering anti-personnel PMF-1 ‘Petal’ mines,” the report reads.
The mines were discovered at Tokaryeva, Bagritskogo, Kondratenko streets and Donskoy lane.
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