US President Joe Biden has agreed to give Ukraine landmines, a US defense official told the BBC, in a move seen as an attempt to reduce Russian forces that have been slowly approaching eastern Ukraine in recent months.
The official, who did not want to be named, said that such mines will be delivered soon and Washington expects them to be used on Ukrainian territory.
Ukraine has also committed to not using mines in populated areas, the official said.
Separately, the US State Department said it would close its embassy in Kyiv after it “received some information about possible airstrikes on November 20”.
“Due to extreme caution, the embassy will be closed, the staff of the office are instructed to shelter in place,” said in a statement.
“The U.S. embassy recommends that U.S. citizens be prepared to take shelter immediately if a wind alert is issued.”
The embassy has previously issued similar warnings about possible airstrikes on New Year’s Eve and around Ukraine’s Independence Day in August.
Suddenly, Ukraine and Russia reported a major drone attack on their territories.
It was not yet known if there were any casualties.
The provision of landmines is the latest step by the outgoing US administration to intensify the war in Ukraine before Donald Trump returns to the White House on 20 January.
For Ukrainian forces trying to stop Russian advances up and down the long eastern strip, mines are essential.
Russia’s current tactics include sending small groups of soldiers – sometimes no more than three to five men – to walk or ride motorcycles behind Ukrainian positions. These men are often killed or captured.
However, in the besieged cities of Chasiv Yar and Kurakhove, Ukrainian analysts say that teams will be sent sometimes every 20 minutes for hours at a time, causing problems for the Ukrainian military.
“It is very difficult to deal with,” Serhiy Kuzan of the Ukraine Security and Cooperation Center told the BBC.
“We need more anti-personnel mines.”
The main battle is being fought in the Donbas countryside, in forested areas between large open farmlands.
With many civilians evacuated, Ukraine says the “unrelenting” use of mines puts civilians at risk and is critical to deterring Russia’s progress.
Russia has deployed landmines freely since launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, but international opposition to the use of these weapons on the grounds that they pose a threat to civilians has prevented the Biden administration from signing off on them.
A US defense official confirmed to the BBC that Ukraine has promised to use landmines for a limited time.
US “permanent” mines differ from Russian ones in that they become useless after a set period of time – anywhere from four hours to two weeks. They are electrically connected and require battery power to explode. When the battery is dead, it will not explode.
Washington already provides anti-tank mines to Ukraine, but anti-personnel landmines – which can be deployed quickly – are designed to blunt the advance of underground forces.
Russia and the US are not signatories to the Ottawa Treaty banning the use or transfer of anti-personnel landmines, although Ukraine is. However, since the full-scale invasion of Russia, more than 20% of Ukraine’s territory is estimated to be contaminated by mines.
Earlier, it was confirmed that the missiles of the Army Tactical Missile System (Atacms) made in the US arrived at the target to be used a few days after reports emerged that the White House had given permission to use them.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said the strike was aimed at the Bryansk region on the border with Ukraine in the north on Tuesday morning.
It said five missiles were shot down and one caused damage – its fragments started a fire at the military base.
But two US officials say initial indications suggest Russia intercepted just two of the eight missiles fired by Ukraine.
The BBC could not independently verify the conflicting figures.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov accused Washington of trying to escalate the conflict.
The Kremlin vowed revenge.
On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin approved changes to Russia’s nuclear doctrine, setting new conditions under which the country would consider using its weapons.
Now it says that an attack from a non-nuclear country, if backed by nuclear power, would be considered a joint attack on Russia.
Commenting on the changes, the spokesperson of the US State Department, Matthew Miller, said: “It has started its war of violence with Ukraine. [Russia] sought to coerce and intimidate Ukraine and other countries around the world through nuclear rhetoric and behavior. “
Additional reports by Paul Adams, BBC News correspondent, reporting from Dnipro, Ukraine
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