"Ukrainian Troops Face Devastating Threats: Land Mines, Booby Traps, and Trip Wires"

Land mines, booby traps, and trip wires are causing severe injuries to Ukrainian troops during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Dense minefields are forcing soldiers to abandon tanks and undertake dangerous demining work. Soldiers use probes, metal detectors, and unconventional methods to locate and clear mines, including identifying booby traps through dead animals and using fiberglass rods instead of metal detectors. Russian troops frequently bury mines with anti-handling devices, targeting soldiers who try to disable trip wires. Plastic mines, known as butterfly or petal mines, are particularly difficult to treat due to the inability to locate plastic shrapnel with traditional methods. Wounds caused by mines are more common than those caused by artillery.