MOSCOW, December 10. /TASS/. Ukraine is using mines in the south-east that it should have destroyed five years ago in accordance with the Mine-Ban Convention also known as the "Ottawa Treaty", Mikhail Ulyanov, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control, told TASS on Thursday.

"The Ottawa Treaty brings together many countries, a lot more than a hundred but not all of them," Ulyanov said. "Russia, China, India, Pakistan, South Korea, the United States and several other countries have not joined this convention but we treat it with respect and recognize its usefulness. Unlike us, Ukraine joined the agreement in 2005, ratified it and by 2010 should have fully destroyed its storages of anti-personnel mines. However, they did not do this. As of today, they have 5.5 million mines left," he continued.

Ulyanov also noted that Ukraine is destroying its storages at a strange pace. In 2011 they destroyed 2,160 mines, in 2012 — 9,720, and in 2015 — only 574 mines. At such pace the process continue for several centuries, Ulyanov said adding that in 2010 and 2014 the pace was significantly higher. "Instead of destroying 100% of its anti-personnel mines over the last five years in accordance with the assumed international legal obligations, Ukrainians destroyed only 9.2% of mines over the last 10 years and have already missed the deadline," the diplomat noted. "Thus the violation of the Ottawa Treaty is obvious. Theoretically, this is not our problem. This is the problem of Ukraine and other participants of the convention that should deal with it," he added.