Over 130,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory remain dangerous due to landmines, but since the start of Russia’s invasion in 2022, over 40,000 square kilometers have already been returned to use, and nearly 10,000 square kilometers are planned for demining this year, Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko reported.
“Today, on International Mine Awareness Day, we note that Ukraine remains the most heavily contaminated country in the world with explosive ordnance—over 130,000 square kilometers of territory are potentially dangerous. The largest areas are in the Kharkiv, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Donetsk regions,” she wrote in a Telegram post on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the prime minister reported that since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine has returned 40,700 square kilometers to use, including 15,100 hectares of agricultural land, which were cleared under the state program “Humanitarian Demining.”
According to her, Ukraine is changing its approaches to demining, reducing costs, and utilizing Ukrainian robotic systems. This year, plans are in place to return nearly 10,000 hectares to use, primarily agricultural land. The list was compiled for the first time using the GRIT prioritization system, she noted.
“We are developing the market for demining operators: their number has grown from 74 to 134, in particular thanks to the involvement of the private sector alongside the State Emergency Service and the State Specialized Service,” the Prime Minister writes.
In addition, a program is in place to compensate individuals and self-employed farmers for the cost of demining, so applications can be submitted through the State Agrarian Register.
The Soul of Soil campaign is ongoing, promoting products from demined areas and supporting humanitarian demining.
