Biden agrees to give Ukraine anti-personnel mines
US President Joe Biden has agreed to provide Ukraine with anti-personnel mines, a US defense official has told the BBC, in a move seen as an attempt to slow down Russian forces that have been advancing steadily in eastern Ukraine in recent months.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the mines would be delivered soon and Washington expected they would be used on Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine has also pledged not to use such mines in densely populated areas, the official said.
Separately, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv said it had “received specific information that a significant airstrike could occur on November 20.”
“Out of an abundance of caution, the embassy will be closed and embassy staff will be instructed to shelter in place,” the statement said.
“The U.S. Embassy advises U.S. citizens to be prepared to take shelter immediately if an air warning is issued.”
Providing anti-personnel mines is the latest step by the outgoing US administration to support the Ukrainian war effort ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House on January 20.
Russia has deployed landmines in large numbers since it began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but the Biden administration has failed to approve their use due to international opposition to their use on the grounds that they pose risks to civilians.
US defense officials confirmed to the BBC that Ukraine has committed to using only mines that remain active for a limited time.
U.S. “non-persistent” mines differ from Russian ones in that they become inert after a preset period of time (four hours to two weeks). They are electrically fuzed and require battery power to detonate. Once the battery is depleted, they won’t explode.
Washington has supplied Ukraine with anti-tank mines, but these rapidly deployable anti-personnel mines are designed to blunt advances by ground forces.
Earlier, reports emerged that U.S.-made long-range Army Tactical Missile System (Atacms) missiles had hit targets in Russia, just days after reports that the White House had approved their use.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the attack targeted the Bryansk region in the north on the border with Ukraine on Tuesday morning.
Five missiles were said to have been shot down, one causing damage and its fragments causing a fire at a military facility.
But two U.S. officials said initial indications were that Russia had intercepted only two of about eight missiles launched by Ukraine.
The BBC has not been able to independently verify the conflicting figures.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Washington of trying to escalate the conflict.
The Kremlin vowed to retaliate.
Russian President Vladimir Putin approved changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine on Tuesday, setting out new conditions for Russia to consider using its nuclear arsenal.
It now says attacks from non-nuclear states would be considered a coordinated attack on Russia if they were backed by nuclear states.
Commenting on the changes, U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said: “Since the beginning of its war of aggression against Ukraine, (Russia) has sought to coerce and intimidate Ukraine and the rest of the world through irresponsible nuclear rhetoric and behavior.”
