Anonymous Telegram channels controlled by Russia's GRU, such as "Resident" and "Legitimny", are spreading the message that supposedly "Western instructors" recommended the Office of the President not to use prohibited types of weapons during the war for Donbas. The report says that the use of anti-personnel landmines in Donetsk "creates a negative image of the Armed Forces" among the population and makes it possible to accuse the Armed Forces of war crimes.

The message, presented as if it were an insider from the President's Office, aims to convince readers that the use of "petal mines" by the Armed Forces of Ukraine is a proven fact, and now the OP must deal with the consequences of this "strategic mistake." But there is no proof that the Armed Forces used these anti-personnel mines in Donetsk, but Russian propaganda constantly writes about it.

On the contrary, there is a lot of evidence that it is the Russian army that violates all the norms and laws of warfare and regularly uses prohibited weapons. And during the war with Ukraine, and earlier - in Georgia and Chechnya. Ukraine also had stockpiles of antipersonnel mines but joined the Ottawa Treaty banning their use and is systematically destroying its arsenal. On the other hand, Russia has not signed any document from the Ottawa Treaty, and still uses anti-personnel mines during the wars it is waging.