UKRAINE WITHDRAWS FROM MINE BAN TREATY-Venislavskiy says Kyiv will now be able to establish its own production.(EA)
Ukraine has announced its withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention. .
Frontline areas and pockets of the Kursk region just inside Russia are thickly contaminated with the small devices which explode when triggered by contact, vibration or tripwires. Anti-mine campaigners condemned Ukraine’s decision to leave the Ottawa Convention, following the example of five other European nations bordering Russia.
The move opens the way to Ukraine increasing the deployment of a munition that can maim civilians, including children, long after conflict subsides. Tamar Gabelnick, director of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, has stated that Kyiv’s decision would put civilians at risk for years.
After signing a decree to quit the treaty, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that often the function performed by anti-personnel mines could not be performed by any other weapon.
The decision to exit the treaty, which prohibits anti-personnel mines but not other types such as anti-vehicle mines, needs parliament’s approval. Lawmaker Fedir Venislavskiy said the armed forces would use the munitions responsibly and that Ukraine has regulations on use of anti-vehicle mines, including mapping their locations.
Ukraine has not said whether it plans to quickly deploy more mines. Venislavskiy said it would now be able to establish its own production
