PFM-1 anti-personnel mines have become a weapon of choice in the war in Ukraine. Also known as "petal mines", these mines are used by both sides, and can be scattered by rockets, bombs, and, increasingly, drones. Designed to cause injury rather than kill outright, they are, however, particularly dangerous for civilians because they are hard to identify – and to defuse. We spoke to demining experts, who explained the challenges posed by these mines.
Also called “petal mines” or “butterfly mines” because of their shape, the Soviet-designed PFM-1 mines have become infamous for the widespread devastation they caused in Afghanistan. They are now used by both Ukrainian and Russian forces in Ukraine.
The FRANCE 24 Observers team spoke to Pete Smith, Ukraine programme manager at HALO Trust:
“From our analysis of the 500 or so civilian casualties of anti-personnel mines across Ukraine, about 90% of those are caused by the PFM-1 mine.
Two things: it’s indiscriminate. It’s very easy to disguise where it lies. It looks like a leaf, and in wooded areas, it’s very difficult to identify. But also the other challenge is: it looks like a toy, it looks harmless.”
More than 300 PFM-1 mines can be delivered in a single rocket, often fired from a vehicle. More recently, they have also been increasingly dropped by drones.
Read moreHow Russian drones are terrorising civilians in Ukraine
The mines are especially dangerous for civilians because they can remain hidden on the ground for years and cause serious injury.
‘We have had many cases of persons, kids, with traumatic amputations of the hands’
Lionel Pechera, programme manager at the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, told us more:
“Five kilogrammes of pressure are enough to detonate them. We have had many cases of persons, kids, with traumatic amputations of the hands, and of course, with the blast losing sight, losing hearing.
The issue here is that when one survives, in most cases, they will still have to suffer long-term consequences."
PFM-1 mines are hard to defuse, so they are generally blown up in a controlled explosion. Smith told our team:
“That’s where we would put in either a combination of mechanical clearance teams or manual clearance teams.
If mechanical – if we are able to, we’ll drive over – they will typically initiate the PFM mine. And because it’s got a low explosive, it will do no damage. But of course you can’t get mechanical means everywhere.”
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