Antipersonnel mines have returned in Ukraine and now threaten the world

Antipersonnel (AP) mines seemed to be on the way out in 1997, when 122 countries signed the Ottawa Treaty to ban them. But in 2026, such mines are making a comeback.

“These things are both cheap to produce and offer a level of sophistication that actors couldn’t hope to reproduce for a hundred times the price only a few years ago,” says Seán Moorhouse, an explosive ordnance disposal consultant.

AP mines come in two forms. Blast mines, weighing 100 grams or less, are typically scattered by aircraft. Activated by pressure, blast mines are designed to maim. Larger fragmentation mines, laid by combat engineers, have tripwires and spray lethal fragments in all directions.

Moorhouse notes that three technologies have enabled the resurgence of AP mines in Ukraine: 3D printing, microcontrollers and drone delivery.

3D printing enables any frontline unit to produce its own mines. Different shapes, sizes and colours proliferate, making mines harder to spot. Some, like the curved, green Caterpillar, blend in with vegetation. Urban mines, meanwhile, may look like pieces of brick or concrete.

Fragmentation mines can be triggered by microcontrollers connected to sensors rather than tripwires. In Ukraine, the most common type, nicknamed Jonik (“little soldier”), is magnetic and sensitive enough to be set off by a rifle carried nearby. Doppler microwave sensors detect movement; others sense body heat or vibration. A new variety is triggered by the approach of any Bluetooth device.

Drone delivery of both blast and fragmentation types has been transformational. Drones slip far behind the lines to place mines precisely on tracks and paths, or around trenches, giving a greater chance of finding a victim than random scattering. Human rights organisations and a UN commission have reported that Russian forces are using drones to drop AP mines to target civilians in the city of Kherson.

The combination of these technologies makes mines both deadlier and more accessible. “The triad of drone delivery, 3D printing and microcontrollers will proliferate worldwide,” predicts Moorhouse.

Networks of soldiers and volunteer groups produce mines in garage workshops in Ukraine and Russia. The technology is easy to replicate.

“These simple devices can be rapidly produced by any group with access to explosives, enabling a significant expansion of mine warfare,” says Roy Gardiner at the non-profit group Defense Tech for Ukraine.

AP mines present a threat to civilians for decades after a conflict. When the Ottawa Treaty was signed, this lasting danger outweighed any military value. The calculus seems to have changed. Ukraine suspended its implementation of the treaty, and others have also changed their minds.

“Now we see five countries pulling out of the Ottawa Treaty [Poland, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia], which suggests that mines have some utility,” says Moorhouse.

He says demining agencies need to act urgently to adapt to the challenges of new AP mines and update their training and awareness programmes. Technology may mitigate the problem, with AI-enabled drones beginning to play a role in mine detection and disposal. But Moorhouse warns the risk from AP mines is growing rather than shrinking, and many states and non-state actors are likely to adopt these cheap, accessible and effective weapons, despite the human cost.