Russia Claims To Have Evidence Of Ukraine Repeatedly Using Anti-Personnel Landmines

JAKARTA - Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday it had evidence Ukraine had repeatedly used anti-personnel mines that had injured civilians, so Kyiv's exit from the Ottawa Convention would not have an impact on the battlefield.

Last month, Ukraine announced its withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention banning the production and use of anti-personnel mines.

Ukraine says it is a necessary step given Russia's tactics in their 40-month war.

Russia is not a party to the Convention on Ottawa and Ukraine says Russia has used landmines extensively in the war.

"The use of anti-personnel mines by the Kyiv regime against civilians is regularly recorded by our law enforcement agencies," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, quoted by Reuters on July 10.

"Ukraine's decision to withdraw from the mechanism is in line with the general steps of Western and its satellite countries to revise and weaken international legal systems in the fields of arms control, weapons dismantling, and non-proliferation," he continued.

Zakharova further noted that based on text, the withdrawal from the convention based on the Ottawa Agreement as long as the armed conflict should not take effect before the end of the armed conflict.

"The decision to withdraw from the convention only applies after the end of the armed conflict," Zakharova explained. "We think that this provision is fully applicable to the withdrawal process launched by Ukraine from this mechanism," he said.

"At the same time, the obligation of the Convention has not been fulfilled by Kyiv even before the decision," he said, adding Ukraine had been required to destroy all supply of anti-personnel mines in 2010, but did not.

Separately, Lithuania and Finland, which borders Russia, have announced their intention to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention which prohibits the use of such mines, officials from the two NATO member states told Reuters.

The two countries appear to be starting production of domestic anti-personnel landmines next year to supply their own and Ukraine needs due to what they consider a military threat from Russia, and the officials say production could launch once the six-month withdrawal process is complete.

Meanwhile, Russia dismissed claims they would attack NATO members as "empty words" Russophobia spread by European powers in an attempt to convince their people to accept a surge in the defense budget.