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Putin 'luring kids to their deaths with gingerbread MINES' dropped from sky over Ukraine

Russian gingerbread mines dropped by drones are reportedly turning Kherson into a deadly minefield, with civilians and children at risk from hidden explosives

[Humanitarian groups were warning about deadly landmines which look like gingerbread men]

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Humanitarian groups were warning about deadly landmines which look like gingerbread men(Image: SERGEY KOZLOV/EPA/Shutterstock)

Children are being lured to their deaths by toy-like mines dropped from the sky in a chilling new escalation of the war in Ukraine, with frontline cities described by aid workers as turning into a deadly patchwork of hidden explosives.

The devices, known as Pryanik, which is Russian for gingerbread, are small, round munitions designed to look deceptively harmless at first glance. But in reality, they are reportedly capable of causing severe injury or death, lying unnoticed in grass, rubble and residential streets until triggered.

The tactic, according to humanitarian groups, is part of a wider strategy that has turned everyday life in southern Ukraine into a constant gamble with survival.

[The city of Kherson has effectively become a minefield," groups have warned]

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The city of Kherson has effectively become a minefield," groups have warned(Image: SERGEY KOZLOV/EPA/Shutterstock)

Yuriy Boyechko, founder of Hope For Ukraine, said the city of Kherson has effectively become a minefield, after Russian forces began deploying cheap first-person-view drones to scatter the disguised explosives across civilian neighbourhoods.

He continued: Russia is using FPV drones to drop these mines all over residential areas in Kherson. If an adult steps on it, or a child finds it while playing in the grass it will blow them up, or wound them badly. The deliberate weaponisation of backyards and doorsteps is a calculated attempt to make life uninhabitable.

Boyechko warned that civilians now face two overlapping dangers in the city direct drone strikes from above and invisible explosives below their feet, the Sun reports.

He explained: Right now, there are two types of dangers that civilians face one is from the air, the FPV drones that target them directly. The other is the minefield underneath their feet.

[Kids are being lured to these toy-like 'gingerbead' mines which are dropped from the sky ]

View 5 Images

Kids are being lured to these toy-like 'gingerbead' mines which are dropped from the sky (Image: Hope for Ukraine)

The evolution of this tactic, aid workers say, represents a disturbing shift in modern warfare. Unlike traditional landmines buried in fixed positions, these devices are being actively dispersed by drones, making entire residential zones unpredictable and constantly changing danger areas.

Kherson, located near the Black Sea and close to the front line, has endured months of sustained attacks, including drone strikes and what officials previously described as human safari operations. Russian forces, positioned across the Dnipro River, are said to monitor and target civilians in real time.

Residents are now reported to spend much of their lives underground in basements, venturing outside only when absolutely necessary. Even then, every movement carries risk.

Boychecko said even walking to the pharmacy is becoming a game of chance of a "gamble with mutilation," and that the situation is becoming a "big problem".

[Humanitarian groups say every day has become a "gamble with survival"]

View 5 Images

Humanitarian groups say every day has become a "gamble with survival"(Image: SERGEY KOZLOV/EPA/Shutterstock)

The gingerbread mines themselves are small enough to fit in the palm of a hand and are often wrapped or shaped in a way that makes them difficult to distinguish from harmless objects. Some reports suggest they can resemble toys or debris, increasing the risk to children who may not recognise the danger.

Officials say the activation pressure is extremely low, meaning even a small child stepping on one could trigger an explosion. There are also warnings that the devices can detonate unpredictably if disturbed.

Volodymyr Prepepelytsia, from the National Police in the Kherson region, has previously described upgraded versions of these mines as more sophisticated and more powerful, making them even harder to detect and clear. He also warned that the shortage of specialist demining teams and equipment has left authorities struggling to keep pace with the scale of contamination across the region.

As of April 1, a total of 1,431 people, including 147 children, have been injured by mines and explosive remnants of war since the start of the full-scale invasion, according to official figures. In Kherson alone, authorities have opened hundreds of criminal cases linked to civilian casualties caused by explosives.

Humanitarian operations have also been severely disrupted. Aid groups say delivering food and supplies often turns into a dangerous operation, with drones circling overhead and attacks occurring within minutes of activity being detected.

[Robot dogs have been used to find the land mines]

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Robot dogs have been used to find the land mines(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Boyechko said his organisation, Hope for Ukraine, is the only NGO still operating regularly in parts of the city, but even their work has become increasingly difficult.

He explained: A lot of people are hesitant to get out of their hideouts when we bring out aid. Every time they open the door, they listen for the high-pitched buzzing sound in the air.

"When we make deliveries, we try to schedule them during bad weather as it is much safer. In open air you become a target in a matter of minutes.

Aid workers say even basic survival routines have been transformed. Residents reportedly time movements carefully, avoid open spaces, and remain alert to any sound of drones overhead. The psychological toll is also growing, with civilians living under constant uncertainty, unsure whether danger lies above or beneath them.

Boyechko said: The worst part is that residents are forced to spend most of their time in basements. There is always something hanging in the air.

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