Deadly 'rag mines' turn Kherson into a trap

Every time Natalia Sergienko steps outside her home in Kherson, she faces a terrifying question: will she make it back alive?

The 37-year-old community worker and widowed mother lives in what has become one of Ukraine's most dangerous cities. Russian forces positioned just across the Dnipro River have escalated their attacks by scattering disguised landmines across pavements, sports fields, bus stations and residential areas using drones.

The latest weapons are chilling in their simplicity. So-called "rag mines" are wrapped in clothing or fabric to disguise them, while smaller "gingerbread mines" are roughly the size of an ice hockey puck and powerful enough to blow off an adult's leg.

Dropped randomly by first-person view drones, the devices have become the newest phase of Russia's campaign against Kherson, a city that has endured relentless attacks since Russia's 2022 invasion.

Before the war, Kherson was home to around 280,000 people. Today, fewer than 70,000 remain after years of fighting left the city on the frontline.

Although Russian troops withdrew across the Dnipro River in November 2022, they continue to menace the city from nearby positions. Residents describe drones constantly hovering overhead, tracking civilians and dropping explosives.

As Sergienko spoke about life in the city, a drone-carried device detonated outside her home.

"The mining happens almost every second day but the danger is constant," she said. The only periods of relief come when cloud cover limits drone visibility.

Natalia Sergienko

She described the drones as being "just like flies", saying they target cars, cyclists and ordinary people. According to Sergienko, residents leave home each day uncertain whether they will return. The human cost continues to mount.

According to the UN humanitarian monitoring mission for Ukraine, 26 civilians were killed and 201 injured by Russian munitions in Kherson during April alone. That was the highest total recorded for any Ukrainian city during that period.

Local testimony suggests disguised mines have contributed to at least a dozen casualties in recent weeks.

One incident struck particularly close to home. An elderly woman living near Sergienko reportedly picked up a gingerbread mine after her dog discovered it. The mine exploded, killing both the woman and her pet.

The mines are deliberately difficult to spot. Gingerbread mines are often wrapped in camouflage material and hidden in grass or scrubland. Rag mines are concealed within clothing or fabric and dropped near roads and homes.

Officials believe the disguises are designed either to blend into surroundings or encourage people to approach and handle them.

Yaroslav Shanko, head of the Kherson City Military Administration, said the devices are used against both civilians and equipment.

Security experts warn that Kherson offers a disturbing glimpse into how future conflicts could be fought. One Western security official said there is abundant evidence that Russia targets civilian infrastructure and civilians to achieve military goals.

For residents, daily survival has become a routine of vigilance.

Sergienko relies on a drone detector to warn of nearby threats, but even those devices have limitations. Russian operators frequently alter frequencies and increasingly use fibre-optic-controlled drones that evade detection and jamming.

Despite the danger, she remains in Kherson to continue her volunteer work distributing aid and medicine.

Her 11-year-old son Illiya studies remotely and receives regular lessons on recognising dangerous objects and avoiding mined areas. "Our children have to think like adults," she said.

While many residents continue to leave, Sergienko says she cannot abandon the city. She believes her work helps dozens, perhaps hundreds, of people. As Kherson endures another day under drone attacks, residents scan both the sky and the ground, watching for threats from above and hidden dangers below.

Asked what she thinks of those carrying out the attacks, Sergienko was blunt. She called them "immoral" and "cowards" who target civilians rather than armies.

Russia’s new depravity: Wrapping deadly mines in rags to drop on Ukraine