Putin’s troops ‘drop booby-trapped wet wipe packs and power banks’ onto the streets of Ukraine in new ‘crime against civilians’

It was claimed that Russia started a ‘new wave of crimes against civilians’ by throwing booby-trapped wet wipe packages and power banks onto the streets of Ukraine.

Explosive-filled devices were discovered in the war city of Kherson in the past few days.

The charity Hope For Ukraine accused Vladimir Putin of targeting innocent civilians and children who might accidentally receive seemingly harmless items.

There are also reports that the Ukrainian military is selling dangerous fake power banks that can explode when touched, causing death or serious injury.

Russian forces have been targeting Kherson with anti-personnel mines for nearly two years, but these are the first reports of explosives being hidden inside everyday items.

Yuriy Boyechko, CEO of Hope For Ukraine, believes Putin changed tactics because Kherson residents now know how to avoid the enemy’s uncamouflaged explosives.

He told the Daily Mail: ‘We are seeing terrorism against civilians developing in Kerson.

Pictured is one of the power banks that authorities fear could be taken over by children or other innocent civilians

Putin has been targeting Kherson with anti-personnel mines for nearly two years, but these are the first reports of explosives being hidden in everyday items.

‘In the spring the Russians would lay down petal mines, we call them gingerbread mines. The public was warned and people stayed away.

‘Since mid-June we have been seeing Russians hiding explosives in things like tissue boxes.

‘Then three days ago we received an alert from the city authorities that they had found an electrical bank on the side of the street with an explosive inside.

‘This has become a very disturbing trend and is very dangerous for children and even adults walking along the street.

‘Unsuspecting pedestrians can pick them up or step on them and kill themselves.

‘This is a war crime against civilians. The city is scared to death.’

Kherson became one of the most strategically important regions in the Russian-Ukrainian war due to its location near the mouth of the Dnieper River and its proximity to Crimea.

It was captured by Putin’s forces in March 2022, but Ukraine launched a major counteroffensive in the region later that year and now controls the city of Kherson.

A hotel and cafe were destroyed in a drone attack in the Kherson region in January.

A woman stands next to a collapsed building after Russian artillery attacks on residential areas in Ukraine’s Kherson region in October last year

It is thought that the makeshift bombs were delivered to the city by drone and then thrown into the streets.

Mr. Boyechko added that civilians are now afraid to go out and this is a form of psychological warfare.

He said: ‘Russia is not winning the war against the Ukrainian army on the battlefield, so they are using Kherson as a testing ground in their fight against civilians.

‘These tactics have never been used before in history. “This is psychological warfare.”

Charge packs and tissue boxes filled with explosives prompted warnings from local authorities.

Head of Kherson City Military Administration Yaroslav Shanko said: ‘The calculation is simple and cynical: a person may mistake such an object for a lost charger, pick it up or try to use it.

‘The consequences could be fatal.’

He added: ‘I would urge parents to talk to their children. Explain to them that you cannot pick up any items found on the street, even if they appear safe or useful.’

The developments in Kherson came that at least three people were killed and 15 people were injured in Russia’s attack on the Ukrainian city of Zaporozhye yesterday.

Officials said that critical infrastructure was also damaged in the bombardment.

Meanwhile, outgoing British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer met with Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev on Thursday, just hours after the attacks.

He said Britain’s support for Ukraine “will not waver” and that a transition as prime minister “will not change this dynamic”.

Sir Keir Starmer and Volodymyr Zelensky shake hands after a joint press conference in the garden of the Presidential Palace during Starmer’s recent visit to Ukraine

A rescuer walks past a three-story apartment building damaged by a Russian airstrike in Zaporizhia, Ukraine

Speaking to Sky News in his final interview about the trip, Sir Keir said: ‘I believe Ukraine will win this war.’

He added: ‘What they show is that it’s not just the size of your army that matters, but how you fight a modern conflict.

‘And that’s why they’re probably the most effective fighting machine in Europe.’

Sir Keir asked whether his successor had received assurances about continued support for Ukraine, telling the broadcaster: ‘If I wasn’t sure of what I was saying, I wouldn’t have said what I said to President Zelensky, which is really important.’

He added: ‘I’m not anyone else’s spokesman. I don’t tell someone else what to do or give advice.

‘But this conflict is serious. ‘This is about the values ​​of democracy and freedom that are really important to British people, and I wouldn’t give assurance if I wasn’t 100 per cent sure about that.’