Now did the Soviets purposefully lay as many mines as possible when they left Afghanistan? Yes, there are many reliable sources that reported on it. Did the Soviets commit war crimes during their time there? Yes, there are still journalists today talking about them. Did the Soviets develop the PFM-1 mine to intentionally harm children? With the evidence that is available it is not likely, and it would be hard for one to give a definitive yes. The construction of the mines and their shape were made for a practical reason that unfortunately had unintended consequences on children of the region.

Now in saying that, Russia and the United Nations both still have sealed records from the conflict that are not likely to be unsealed anytime soon. If/when they are then it might be a different story, but with the evidence available at present it is difficult to assume that these mines were made specifically to attract children.

Hope for the Future

As technology advances, faster and more cost effective solutions are being used to find these mines. One such technology is thermal imaging. Mine disposal teams are now using drones with thermal imaging cameras to uncover the location of these mines. Being made primarily plastic they let off a different heat signature than the ground around them. Especially in the sandy hot parts of the country where the sand cools off quickly at night but the plastic retains the heat longer, giving off a stronger heat signature and allowing the teams to more easily map their location. This new technology does not work everywhere and is far from perfect but it is much faster and accurate than more traditional methods.