Escalating Ukraine War... US Anti-Personnel Mines & UK Storm Shadow Support

As Ukraine is pushed onto the defensive by Russia's offensive, Western governments are expanding their support. On the 20th (local time), the U.S. government announced that it has reversed its previous policy and decided to supply anti-personnel mines to Ukraine.

On the same day, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller confirmed in a briefing, "We can confirm that we are supplying non-persistent anti-personnel mines to the Ukrainian government."

Matthew Miller, U.S. Department of State Spokesperson. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The day before, The Washington Post (WP) reported that the Biden administration had reversed its previous policy and would provide anti-personnel mines to Ukraine. While the U.S. has supported Ukraine with anti-tank mines until now, this is the first time it is supplying anti-personnel mines.

Spokesperson Miller said, "We always adjust and apply policies according to the current situation. What we have observed is Russia's infantry advance toward eastern Ukraine. The anti-personnel mines are designed to neutralize this advance."

He also emphasized that the anti-personnel mines being supplied this time are relatively safe for civilians. He explained, "These battery-operated mines can be set with a timer, and the battery discharges between a minimum of 4 hours and a maximum of 2 weeks after deployment. If they do not explode within 2 weeks after installation, they become deactivated and pose no threat to civilians post-conflict."

He added, "They are very different from the mines laid by Russia and also differ from mines installed decades ago by our military and other countries' forces. Russia has deployed approximately 2 million mines in Ukraine, which will remain a threat for decades."

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who is visiting Laos, also confirmed the supply of anti-personnel mines at a local press conference.

Secretary Austin cited the change in Russian tactics from using mechanized units such as tanks in the early stages of the war to infantry advance operations as the basis for support. He stated, "Ukraine needs something that can slow down Russia's advance speed," and added, "Ukraine is currently producing its own anti-personnel mines."

He continued, "The mines we intend to provide are non-persistent, meaning their activation and detonation timing can be controlled, making them much safer than Ukraine's domestically produced mines. We have been discussing with Ukraine how to use the mines responsibly, ensuring that the locations where mines are installed are properly recorded and that the self-destruct features can be utilized."

The United States implemented a policy banning the use of anti-personnel mines outside the Korean Peninsula during former President Barack Obama's administration in 2014. This policy was repealed in January 2020 during former President Donald Trump's first term, but President Biden reinstated it in June 2022. However, as Ukraine was pushed onto the defensive ahead of the anticipated second Trump administration emphasizing rapid ceasefire negotiations, the policy was reversed.

As the war situation turns unfavorable for Ukraine, Western support has also increased significantly. On the same day, Bloomberg reported that Ukraine launched its first attack on Russian mainland using the Storm Shadow air-to-ground cruise missiles supplied by the United Kingdom. According to Western officials, this is a response to North Korean troops being deployed to Russia.

After the U.S. recently enabled Ukraine to strike the Russian mainland with ATACMS tactical ballistic missiles with a range of about 300 km, the UK appears to have also authorized attacks on Russian mainland using Storm Shadow missiles. The operational range of the Storm Shadow is approximately 250 km.