Russia has been dropping booby-trapped tissue boxes and power banks onto the streets of Ukraine in what human rights campaigners are calling a new 'war against civilians'. The decoy bombs have been discovered in the battleground city of Kherson in recent days, with charities warning that innocent children and adults could be killed or lose limbs if they pick up the explosive devices.
Disguised explosives found in civilian areas
Charity Hope for Ukraine reports that the disguised bombs are being dropped by drones over enemy lines. Pictures from Kherson show the makeshift bombs on sidewalks or in parks. The weapons are designed to look like harmless everyday items, making them particularly dangerous for curious children.
Yuriy Boyechko, CEO of Hope for Ukraine, told Metro: 'If a curious kid or anyone picks it up, or steps on it, then it explodes immediately. It is a direct crime against civilians.' He explained that the Russians are changing tactics because Kherson locals have learned to avoid the enemy's uncamouflaged explosives, known as 'gingerbread' mines due to their small, flat appearance that children might mistake for plastic toys.
Local officials issue urgent warnings
Yaroslav Shanko, Head of Kherson City Military Administration, warned: 'The calculation is simple and cynical: a person may mistake such an object for a lost charging device, pick it up, or try to use it. The consequences could be fatal.' He urged parents to talk to their children about the dangers of picking up any items found on the street, even if they look safe or useful.
Lord Alton, chair of Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights, told Metro: 'The deliberate disguising of explosives, indiscriminately dropped into civilian neighbourhoods in Ukraine, is yet another calculated act despicably targeting non combatants. Inevitably, curious children will be among those picking up innocent looking tissue boxes. That will lead to fatalities and terrible injuries. One day, this must be added to the charge sheet of war crimes.'
International condemnation and legal implications
Helen Maguire MP, Chair of Parliament's group on Explosive Weapons and Their Impact, called the camouflaged mines 'a truly abhorrent development in an already brutal war.' She stated: 'International law is clear on this: parties to a conflict must distinguish between civilians and military targets, and weapons that are intended to deceive civilians into handling them are incredibly alarming.' The Liberal Democrat MP urged the international community to swiftly condemn these new Russian tactics and continue supporting Ukraine in defence and explosive contamination clearance.
Amnesty International noted that international humanitarian law prohibits directing attacks against civilians, and if the intention was to cause death or injury to civilians, it could potentially amount to a war crime. Brian Dooley, a senior advisor at Human Rights First who has spent time on Ukraine's front line, said the disguised bombs 'bear all the hallmarks of Russia's attacks on civilians in Ukraine'.
Booby-trapped power banks sold to soldiers
Hope for Ukraine also reported that booby-trapped power banks are being sold to Ukrainian soldiers. Boyechko explained that many military units raise money for supplies themselves and often buy items like power banks. He said: 'There have been reports that sellers have been selling power banks filled with explosives. It looks like some of these sellers buy supplies which are already compromised. Or these sellers collaborate with the Russians to inflict pain and damage.' A handful of sellers have been identified as selling compromised units.
New drone tactics to bypass anti-drone nets
The charity also raised awareness of a new Russian tactic targeting cars, buses, and bikes on Kherson's roads. Drones are currently obstructed from targeting vehicles due to anti-drone fishing nets stretched over the streets. However, Boyechko said Russians are bypassing the nets by flying drones to the side of the road, landing them low in the grass, and activating them as drivers pass by, hitting cars from under the nets.
Ross Burley, co-founder of the Centre for Information Resilience that documents war crimes, said: 'Russia is turning streets, hospitals and everyday objects into potential death traps. This is not simply a military tactic; it is a campaign of terror designed to make Ukrainian civilians fear every step. Sadly, it's also unsurprising, and what we've come to expect from a pretty abhorrent regime.'
