Who Is Stockpiling Anti-Personnel Mines?

After authorizing Ukraine to use ATACMS long-range missiles on Russian territory Sunday, the outgoing Biden Administration has announced that it will be sending anti-personnel landmines to the country. The U.S. and Russia are non-signatories of the International Mine Ban Treaty and are among the world's largest stockpilers of anti-personnel mines, while Ukraine is a signatory. Russia specifically has more than 26 million landmines in its stockpile, the newly released Landmine Monitor by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines shows, and has used them on its front line with Ukraine "liberally." Ukraine has so far only used improvised anti-personnel mines.

The U.S. stocks 3 million anti-personnel mines, according to the publication. The Biden Administration has intensified its push to aid Ukraine before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in January. Anti-tank mines had been sent to Ukraine previously.

While anti-personnel mines have been condemned internationally due to their destructive effects on civilians, the U.S. will be sending non-persistent mines which have batteries and stop functioning after a short time span. The country's decision was still called into question by international organizations, as was the decision not to join the aforementioned 1999 treaty. The White House said that the mines were necessary for Ukraine to stop Russian advancements in smaller, less heavily armoured ground units.