Zelenskyy accuses Russians of leaving thousands of land mines in the Kyiv area

Russia has withdrawn its troops from the area around Kyiv, pulling them back across the border to Belarus. But they've left dangerous mines behind, which present an ongoing threat to civilians.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address that the Russian military had left tens of thousands — if not hundreds of thousands — of explosive ordinance behind as they retreated.

Thousands of mines are being disposed of daily by Ukrainian officials, he said. Zelenskyy said the Russian military has left mines in homes, on streets, in fields, around cars and in doorways. He added that he thought this should be considered a war crime because these mines are designed to injure or kill civilians.

The presence of mines, some of which may not be found right away, is just another indication of how long it will take to regain a sense of normalcy in the formerly occupied areas.

This story originally appeared in the Morning Edition live blog. [Copyright 2022 NPR]