Russian forces have reportedly been using civilians to find safe routes through Ukrainian landmine fields in order to reach Ukrainian positions, the Ukrainian government's National Resistance Center reported Sunday.
In addition to Russian forces risking the lives of civilians to ensure their own safety, the report further added that Iranian and Pakistani refugees are also sent into Ukraine's borders by Belarusian troops in order to find vulnerable areas on their shared border.
This, the report claims, is for the benefit of Russian troops that can pass into Ukraine from Russia-allied Belarus.
Both of these, the National Resistance Center notes, constitute another war crime by Russian forces.
Russia's military tactics in its invasion of Ukraine
This comes amid a report from Ukraine's Intelligence Directorate (GUR), which emphasized the difference in military tactics between themselves and Russia.
As noted by GUR representative Andrii Yusov in a TV interview, Ukrainian troops fight using skill, tactics and superior weaponry and equipment. Russia, by contrast, reportedly suffering from a number of issues regarding training and poor equipment, is attempting to compensate by relying on sheer numbers.
"They have nothing left but to fight with numbers," Yusov said, adding that the sheer "number of corpses" will eventually begin to sake up their "zombified society."
"They have nothing left but to fight with numbers."
Andrii Yusov
Ukraine and landmines amid the Russian invasion
In addition, Ukraine has also faced condemnation internationally for its use of landmines in an attempt to defend its borders from Russian troops.
Human Rights Watch called on Ukraine to investigate accusations that its military used thousands of rocket-fired antipersonnel landmines in and around the city of Izium in the Donbas region when it was occupied by Russian troops.
The New York-based advocacy group said it conducted research in Ukraine's Izium between September 19 and October 9, interviewing over 100 people, including witnesses to landmine use, victims of landmines, first responders, doctors, and Ukrainian deminers.
"Human Rights Watch documented PFM mine use in nine different areas in and around Izium city and verified 11 civilian casualties from these mines," it said on Tuesday. "The nine areas were all close to where Russian military forces were positioned at the time, suggesting they were the target."
A PFM is a scatterable antipersonnel mine, commonly called the "butterfly mine."
However, Russian forces have also been accused multiple times of deploying antipersonnel mines across Ukraine since the invasion began on February 24, 2022.
The use of antipersonnel landmines is a violation of international humanitarian law since they don't discriminate when it comes to combatants and civilians, Human Rights Watch noted.
Ukraine signed the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction, though Russia did not and continues to deny ever targeting civilians.
Ukraine's deputy defense minister also denied using antipersonnel mines during the war.
"Ukrainian forces appear to have extensively scattered landmines around the Izium area, causing civilian casualties and posing an ongoing risk," said Steve Goose, Arms Division director at Human Rights Watch.
"Russian forces have repeatedly used antipersonnel mines and committed atrocities across the country, but this doesn't justify Ukrainian use of these prohibited weapons."
Reuters contributed to this report.