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DPR field engineers defuse about 20,000 Lepestok anti-personnel mines over month

It is reported that the Ukrainian troops have been actively dropping Lepestok anti-personnel mines on DPR populated areas since late July

DONETSK, August 30. /TASS/. Field engineers of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) defused about 20,000 Lepestok anti-personnel mines scattered by the Ukrainian military in its bombardments of the republic’s populated areas by rockets with cluster munitions, the DPR Emergencies Ministry reported on Tuesday.

"The Ukrainian armed formations are scattering PFM-1 and PFM-1S (Lepestok) anti-personnel mines, using rocket artillery. Since July 30, field engineers of the DPR Emergencies Ministry have defused about 20,000 PFM-1 and PFM-1S anti-personnel mines," the ministry said on its Telegram channel.

DPR field engineers daily uncover and eliminate up to 400 such mines, it added.

The Ukrainian troops have been actively dropping Lepestok anti-personnel mines on DPR populated areas since late July. According to the data of the DPR territorial defense headquarters, the republic has registered 58 instances of civilians, including two children, wounded by Lepestok mines. One civilian died of wounds sustained in the blast.

The PFM-1 Lepestok is a Soviet pressure-type anti-personnel mine. These mines can be scattered remotely by launching rockets with cluster munitions. The mine’s casing is made of plastic in colors that make it extremely difficult to detect. The mines are extremely dangerous for civilians as their unusual shape makes it difficult to see a dangerous object.