Russian troops scatter illegal butterfly mines in Kherson

Roman Mroczko from Kherson's city authorities reported that the Russian Federation's army is using PFM-1 Lepestok anti-personnel mines in the city. This weapon is banned in many countries—but not in Poland, Russia, and Ukraine.

The Russians have been scattering front-line areas with PFM-1 mines for many months. Until recently, this activity intensified in mid-July 2024, when soldiers noted that these small, palm-sized mines appeared more frequently. After a few months, the issue of using this equipment has resurfaced. This time, Roman Mroczko from Kherson's city authorities has reported on it. He notes that the Russians are spreading more and more PFM-1 mines in the city.

"The Russians are spreading Lepestok mines along the roads," reads the Mroczko report cited by the Ukrainian portal Defense Express. The mine is small, posing a significant threat primarily because it is difficult to spot. The Russian Federation scatters them in places where the infantry of Ukraine's armed forces appears. It's also worth noting that identifying them is challenging because the PFM-1 is green or brown. As a result, it "blends" into the surroundings.

The mentioned anti-personnel mines, PFM-1, are banned in 111 countries. This is regulated by national law under the convention from 2008, which the authorities of the USA, Poland, Ukraine, and Russia, among others, did not sign.

Anti-personnel mines PFM-1, also known in NATO code as the "blue parrot" and often referred to as "butterfly mines," are small Soviet-made devices. Each PFM-1 mine has small dimensions, with its height reaching about 2 inches, width about 1 inch, and length about 5 inches. The mass of the PFM-1 is about 3 ounces, with 1.3 ounces being the explosive, which is a liquid material VS6-D or VS-60D.

The design of the PFM-1 mine relies on an MVDM/VGM-572 fuze, which operates on a pressure principle and triggers an explosion with a load of at least 11 pounds. Another version of this mine is known as the PFM-1S, which is programmed for self-destruction after a specific time, usually after 40 hours.

Butterfly mines can be dispersed using various means, including helicopters, airplanes, and infantry. Drones are also a popular tool for scattering PFM-1. An important aspect is that both PFM-1 and PFM-1S mines cannot be disarmed once activated. This means the only way to clear an area of these dangerous objects is to detonate them.