Experts believe crows in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine are picking up landmines from nearby battlefields, putting people far from the front lines at risk.
The crow theory emerged after multiple landmines detonated in areas that have already been cleared by ordinance disposal workers causing several serious injuries, according to the Kyiv Post.
The Ukrainian media report that in the Kharkov region, crows carry petal mines, mining the territories already cleared by sappers. (APU, in anticipation of the Russian offensive, massively used such mines)
Residents of Izyum report the problem. And in the Kharkov Zoo they… pic.twitter.com/wS4BfK33h8
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“The situation is completely unexpected,” said Dmitry Strelkov, deputy head of the cultural and educational department of the Kharkiv Zoo, per the Kyiv Post. He also said that, despite the lack of “specifically confirmed observations and evidence,” it was “quite possible” that crows were relocating the mines.
Three separate incidents involving landmines have injured civilians in unexpected areas, the Kyiv Post reported. (RELATED: Viral Videos Allegedly Show Ukrainians Driving Over And Kicking Anti-Tank Mines)
A woman stepped on a landmine in a market on April 14, and the blast severely injured the woman’s leg, per the outlet.
Another incident occurred when a 46-year-old lost his foot after stepping on a mine while checking power lines in Stepne Village, the Kyiv Post reported.
A woman in Balaklea also stepped on an anti-personnel mine near the city’s center, Kyiv Post reported.
“Crow-type birds, especially ravens and grey crows, are very intelligent and can be curious about unusual-looking, unfamiliar objects,” Strelkov added, reported the outlet. “Usually, these birds are wary of human-made items, but nowadays, some are so used to living around people that they can take such things quite easily.”