The victim died on the spot from the injuries. His friends called an ambulance and the police.

Source: National Police in Kharkiv Oblast

The man’s car broke down on the road between the villages of Sulyhivka and Dovhenke. He decided to repair the car, but he stepped on an explosive device when he entered the woods.

“It has been preliminarily established that the victim and his friend were travelling by car. Between the villages of Sulyhivka and Dovhenke in Izium district, their car broke down, and the 40-year-old man went into the woods to look for a stick. There he stepped on an unknown explosive device. The man died as a result of the explosion,” the statement said.

Criminal proceedings were initiated under Part 2 of Article 438 (violation of the laws and customs of war) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

Kharkiv Oblast is one of the most contaminated with explosive devices, with Kupiansk, Vovchansk and Izium forestries being the most affected.

PFM-1 is one of the most widespread anti-personnel mines that Russians leave in the occupied territories in forests, around roads, trails, parks, and even in the yards of private houses.

This land mine is a high-explosive anti-personnel landmine produced by the Soviet Union and Russia. It has several names, including the Green Parrot and the Butterfly Mine. These mines can be scattered from helicopters, combat aircrafts, and mortars. They glide to the ground without detonating and only explode upon contact at a later time.

A PFM-1 mine / Photo credit: psdinfo.store

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the international community adopted the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention prohibiting the use, production, stockpiling and transfer of these weapons and requiring action be taken to prevent and address their long-lasting effects.

See also

  • Car exploded on unidentified mine in Kharkiv Oblast: one dead. A 37-year-old woman died on the spot. Two girls aged 12 and 15 and a 12-year-old boy were seriously injured. All the victims were hospitalized, and doctors were fighting for their lives.
  • War crimes in Kharkiv Oblast: 37 Russian servicemen notified of suspicion. Crimes committed by the military personnel of the aggressor state and representatives of Russian private military companies must not go unpunished.