U.S. President Joe Biden has authorized the delivery of anti-personnel land mines to Ukraine, according to a U.S. defense official speaking to the BBC.
This decision is seen as a measure to slow the advance of Russian troops, who have been making steady progress in eastern Ukraine in recent months.
The official, who requested anonymity, stated that the mines would be delivered soon and expected to be used within Ukraine’s territory. Ukraine has committed to not deploying the mines in densely populated areas, the official added.
In a separate development, the U.S. State Department announced it would temporarily close its embassy in Kyiv following “specific information” about a potential significant air attack on November 20.
“Out of an abundance of caution, the embassy will be closed, and embassy employees are being instructed to shelter in place,” it said in a statement.
“The US embassy recommends US citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced.”
The embassy has previously issued similar warnings of potential air attacks at New Year and around Ukraine’s Independence Day in August.
Overnight, both Ukraine and Russia reported major drone attacks on their respective territories.
It was not immediately known whether there were any casualties.
The provision of anti-personnel land mines is the latest move by the outgoing US administration to bolster Ukraine’s war effort before Donald Trump returns to the White House on 20 January.
For Ukraine’s forces trying to halt Russian advances up and down the long front line in the east, mines are vital.
Russia’s tactics currently involve sending small groups of soldiers – sometimes no more than three to five men – to walk or ride motorbikes behind Ukrainian positions. These men are often killed or captured.
However, in besieged towns like Chasiv Yar and Kurakhove, Ukrainian analysts say squads will sometimes be sent out every 20 minutes for hours at a time, creating problems for Ukrainian troops.
“It’s very difficult to deal with,” Serhiy Kuzan from the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Centre told the BBC.
“We need more anti-personnel mines.”
Much of the fighting is taking place in rural parts of the Donbas, wooded areas between huge open areas of farmland.
With much of the civilian population already evacuated, Ukraine argues that the tactical use of “non-persistent” landmines poses minimal risk to civilians and is crucial to slowing Russia’s advance. These mines are designed to become inert after a certain period, reducing long-term dangers.
Russia has been heavily using landmines since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but international concerns about their civilian impact had previously kept the Biden administration from approving them.
he U.S. defense official confirmed that Ukraine has committed to using only “non-persistent” mines, which are designed to deactivate after a set period—ranging from four hours to two weeks.
These mines are electrically fused and require battery power to detonate; once the battery expires, they become harmless.
The U.S. has already supplied Ukraine with anti-tank mines, but these anti-personnel mines can be deployed more rapidly to hinder the movement of Russian ground forces.
Neither Russia nor the U.S. is a signatory to the Ottawa Convention, which bans the use or transfer of anti-personnel landmines, though Ukraine is. The ongoing conflict has led to an estimated 20% of Ukrainian territory being contaminated by mines.
In a related development, it was confirmed that U.S.-made Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) missiles had successfully struck targets inside Russia, following reports that the White House had authorized their use.
Russia’s defence ministry said the strike had targeted the Bryansk region bordering Ukraine to the north on Tuesday morning.
It said five missiles had been shot down and one had caused damage – with its fragments starting a fire at a military facility.
Two U.S. officials have stated that initial reports suggest Russia intercepted only two out of approximately eight missiles fired by Ukraine, although the BBC has not independently verified these conflicting figures.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Washington of attempting to escalate the conflict, while the Kremlin has vowed to retaliate.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, outlining new conditions for the potential use of its nuclear arsenal.
The revised doctrine now asserts that an attack from a non-nuclear state, if supported by a nuclear power, will be treated as a joint assault on Russia.
Commenting on the changes, US state department spokesperson Matthew Miller said: “Since the beginning of its war of aggression against Ukraine, [Russia] has sought to coerce and intimidate both Ukraine and other countries around the world through irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behaviour.”