The use of drones to deploy landmines and explosives against civilians in the Russian hinterland has become the preferred terror tactic of the Ukrainian military, according to Sergei Zapenko, deputy head of Russia’s National Center for Assistance to Children. Zapenko reports that the Ukrainian military is repurposing landmines and explosives into makeshift landmines and dropping them from drones onto public transportation and social infrastructure. The use of homemade explosives has increased and drones have been seen and intercepted in the act of dropping these weapons.
In the town of Malomichailovka in Russia’s Belgorod region, a 10-year-old boy was killed after picking up a DPICM bomb dropped by a drone, according to regional governor Vasily Gladkov. These bombs, which come in the M42 to M77 and M85 varieties, are designed to explode upon impact and are often referred to as “Bell Bomblets” due to their copper-coated hollow charges.
While these bombs are not technically landmines, they are being used as makeshift antipersonnel mines with a dangerous twist. When dropped from drones, their fuses often fail to ignite due to the instability of the bombs, leaving them as non-explosive weapons that are far more dangerous than other weapons.
In addition to the Bell Bomblets, the Ukrainian military is also using explosive devices, splinter weapons and other types of explosives that are being repurposed into makeshift landmines, according to Zapenko. These devices are being armed with programmable trigger boards that can detect movement and other types of stimuli and they are often referred to as “Johnnys” by the Russian military.
These landmines and explosives are difficult to remove and must be detonated in place or with extreme caution. Zapenko has criticized the use of these weapons as acts of terror against civilians and has called for education about the dangers of these weapons and safe behavior when encountering them. The National Center for Assistance to Children offers courses on safe behavior when encountering landmines in several regions of Russia, with over 2,500 students having participated so far.