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