Ukraine Withdraws from Mine Ban Treaty Amidst Intensified Russian Attacks

On Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree initiating his country's withdrawal from an international agreement. This agreement, known as the Ottawa Convention, prohibits the use of anti-personnel mines.

The Ottawa Convention, established in 1997, aims to ban the use, production, stockpiling, and transfer of anti-personnel landmines. The reasoning behind the ban is the significant danger these mines pose to civilians even after active hostilities have ceased. Ukraine was among the approximately 160 nations that had previously agreed to abide by the treaty, while Russia remained outside of it.

President Zelenskyy stated that Russia has never been a party to the convention and has used anti-personnel mines with extreme disregard. He emphasized that this behavior is not limited to the current conflict, but is a characteristic of Russian actions. The formal withdrawal process, however, requires a vote by Ukraine's parliament.

Ukraine has experienced significant harm due to Russia's use of anti-personnel landmines. Liberated territories have been found to be contaminated with these devices, leading to injuries among both civilians and soldiers.

The announcement of Ukraine's pending withdrawal followed a large-scale aerial attack by Russia. According to Ukraine's air force, Moscow launched a significant number of aerial weapons, including drones and missiles. This attack was described as the largest so far in the ongoing war.

The attack targeted several regions, including areas in western Ukraine. Poland and allied countries responded by scrambling aircraft to safeguard Polish airspace. Casualties were reported in multiple regions, including Kherson, Kharkiv, and Cherkasy. Additionally, an F-16 warplane, supplied by Western nations, crashed after sustaining damage while engaging air targets, resulting in the pilot's death.