Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Israeli media outlet: Security incident reported in the Gaza Strip
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson: No new date or venue has been set for the meeting between Araghchi and Witkoff, and no negotiations will take place until the outcome is guaranteed
Palestinian platforms: Settlers storm Al-Aqsa Mosque complex under the protection of the occupation police
Palestinian platforms: The IOF detonated a booby-trapped robot east of the al-Zaytoun neighborhood, south of Gaza City
Syrian Defense: We call on all parties in Sweida to cooperate with security forces and exercise restraint
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: We have strong indications that there are martyrs, injuries, and trapped people in the Salah al-Din area

80-year-old woman injured by petal mine in Donetsk

  • By Steve Sweeney
  • Source: Al Mayadeen English
  • 25 Jul 2023 22:38
  • 7 Shares
7 Min Read

The 80-year-old was wounded as Kiev’s forces pounded the Kuibyshevsky district on Monday, with the bombardment continuing throughout the day and into the night.

  • x
  • 80-year-old woman injured by petal mine in Donetsk
    An elderly woman walks in front of a destroyed building in Donetsk on December 17, 2022. (AFP)  

 An elderly woman has become the latest victim of the deadly so-called “petal mine” during the Ukrainian shelling of a civilian area in Donetsk city,
 
The 80-year-old was wounded as Kiev’s forces pounded the Kuibyshevsky district on Monday, with the bombardment continuing throughout the day and into the night.
 
A worker was among three other civilians wounded when he was struck by shrapnel as a food processing plant was destroyed during the Ukrainian attack.
 
Moreover, firefighters struggled to contain the blaze with plumes of black smoke seen across the Donetsk city skyline for miles around.
 
In the nearby industrial city of Makeevka, a hospital and kindergarten were struck during Ukrainian shelling. Fortunately no casualties were reported.
 
According to local officials, five settlements came under fire on Monday; Gorlovka, Zaytsevo, Yasinovatsky region, Donetsk city, and Makeevka in 52 separate attacks, using a mixture of grad rockets and Western-supplied weapons.
 
The mayor of Donetsk, Akexey Kulemzin, condemned the use of petal mines, saying they cause severe injuries and disabilities.
 
“It’s not for nothing they are forbidden all over the world, but the Ukrofascists are not squeamish about anything.
 
“We are still in the middle of demining certain areas where the petal mine has been left behind,” adding, “There are still cases of civilian deaths, but the shelling does not stop.”
 
According to local officials, 123 civilians have been wounded as a result of petal mines, 11 of them children, with three succumbing to their injuries.

Petal Mine use considered a war crime

Related News

Putin, Macron discuss Iran, Ukraine crisis in first call since 2022

Putin-Trump meeting in Istanbul requires mutual consent: Kremlin

The petal mine - also known as the PFM-1 - is a Soviet-era small plastic blast mine that was banned under the Ottawa Convention, which became an internationally binding law on March 1, 1999.
 
Their use is considered a war crime under the Geneva Convention.
 
It is similar to the BLU-43 that was used by the United States in Laos during the Vietnam War, with military officials suggesting the PMF-1 was developed after reverse-engineering by the Soviet Union.
 
Most states destroyed their stockpiles after ratifying the Ottawa Convention. However, Ukraine asked for numerous extensions to the deadline. 
 
In 2020, Ukraine refused to destroy any more of its deadly arsenal, and in 2021, its stockpile was reported at more than 3.3 million mines.
 
Petal mines fall silently and can be dispersed over a wide area. Their green color and small size make them difficult to see, and their shape resembles a toy, making children particularly vulnerable.
 
Signs are posted in local supermarkets warning people to take care, with a cigarette lighter posted next to a photograph of a mine for scale.
 
Despite defining efforts, hundreds are still believed to be scattered across Donetsk city, with locals reminded to remain vigilant and to avoid walking on grass if possible.

Moscow's calls unanswered

In August 2022, Russia raised concerns over Ukraine’s use of the banned munition with United Nations officials. 

A letter along with photographic evidence and other detailed information was sent to the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, and to the president of the UN security council, Zhang Jun, according to Russia’s Deputy Ambassador to the body Dmitry Polyansky.
 
But Moscow’s complaints went unanswered. 
 
The use of banned munitions by Ukrainian forces is, however, not restricted to the PFM-1. It is believed that cluster munitions have also been used on civilian areas in the Zaporozhye region.
 
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric condemned the use of cluster bombs last Friday after news that Ukraine had started firing them.

"We have seen these reports, which are very concerning, and as we have said before these types of munitions should be consigned to history and should not be used," Mr Dujarric told a press briefing. 
 
Just a day later, war correspondent Rostislav Zhuralev became the first civilian to be killed by a cluster bomb since Washington agreed to supply the deadly munition in early July.
 
He succumbed to his injuries after a car he was traveling in with a group of journalists came under fire on Saturday. The shelling occurred near the village of Pyatykhatky.
 
The war reporters had been preparing material and investigating the use of cluster munitions by Ukrainian forces on settlements close to the frontline.
 
The attack led to widespread condemnation, with the International Federation of Journalists calling for a swift investigation into the RIA Novosti journalist’s death.
 
“We deplore the death of another journalist in this deadly conflict and urge authorities to promptly investigate Zhuravlev's killing. We urge warring parties to provide journalists with the best possible protection to allow them to carry out their duties safely,” it said in a statement. 
 
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay also hit out and joined the call for a probe into the circumstances of Zhuralev’s death. 
 
“Journalists serve a critical role in informing the world about conflict situations and must be protected. 
 
“I reiterate my call for the observance of international humanitarian law, including United Nations Security Council Resolution 2222 on the protection of journalists, media professionals and associated personnel in situations of conflict,” she said.

Read next: Russia delegate to Al Mayadeen: UN Secretariat is biased, unrealistic
 
According to the Geneva Convention, journalists and media workers operating in areas of armed conflict must be treated and protected as civilians, and allowed to perform their work without undue interference. Attacks intentionally targeting journalists constitute war crimes.
 
But other world press freedom groups remained silent when asked for comment. Emails to Article 19, Reporters Without Borders, Index on Censorship, and the International Press Institute remained unanswered.
 
The US-based Committee to Protect Journalists told Al Mayadeen English that it was “currently looking into this case and do not have any further comment at this time.”

Those responsible will suffer a well-deserved punishment: Zakharova

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said those who were responsible for killing  Zhuralev would be punished for their actions, accusing Ukraine of trying to cover up the truth about its use of cluster munitions.
 
“The Kiev regime continues the practice of criminal terror,” she said in a statement, adding that “everything points to the fact that the attack was not carried out by chance.
 
“The correspondents were collecting materials for a report on the shelling by militants of the Kiev regime of settlements in the Zaporozhyre region with cluster munitions, banned in many countries of the world,”  Zakharova said,
 
She hit out at the US for supplying the munitions along with Britain and France for sending long-range missiles to Ukraine, saying that while those countries express concern over the safety of journalists, they are, in reality, sponsors of terrorists. 

  • Ukraine crisis
  • Russia
  • war in Ukraine
  • Donetsk
  • Ukraine
Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS