Ukrainian officials have accused Russian forces of dropping booby-trapped everyday items, including wet wipe packets and portable power banks, onto streets in Ukraine, in what they describe as a deliberate attack on civilians rather than military targets. The tactic, if confirmed, marks an escalation in Russia's alleged use of disguised explosives designed to maim or kill ordinary people going about daily life, rather than combatants, drawing condemnation as a war crime.

Reports suggest the devices are fashioned to resemble innocuous household or personal items so that unsuspecting civilians pick them up, triggering an explosion. Ukrainian authorities and commentators have framed the incidents as part of a broader pattern of attacks targeting the civilian population, adding to mounting allegations of Russian conduct in violation of the laws of war since the invasion began.