The areas of mined territories of Ukraine are impressive. Currently, our country ranks first in the world according to this indicator. The State Emergency Service works on the search and disposal of explosive objects every day. Sappers from other countries and from international organizations are also involved. Despite this, the complete demining of the territory of the state may take decades.
Hundreds of Ukrainians suffered from mines
On Thursday, May 2, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported on the consequences of landmines for the civilian population. Hundreds of Ukrainians were injured and maimed by explosive objects, and 297 of our fellow citizens died. Children are also among the victims.
“According to the secretariat of the National Mine Action Authority, unfortunately, since the beginning of the full-scale Russian aggression, more than 297 people have died, including 15 children, and 669 people have been injured, including 78 children. This is the information as of today “, – said the spokesman of the State Emergency Service Oleksandr Khorunzhy.
“In total, since the beginning of the large-scale military invasion of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine, 490 thousand 758 explosive objects and 2 thousand 950 kg of explosive substance, including 3 thousand 352 aerial bombs, have been defused. The territory with an area of more than 129 thousand 078 hectares has been surveyed”, – report to State Emergency Service.
Currently, about 30% of the territory of Ukraine remains mined. We are talking not only about the frontline areas, but also about the regions that were liberated from the occupation. Sufficient demining work remains in Kharkiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and other regions. The territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions have been mined since 2014.
A threat to agriculture
Forests remain dangerous for civilians. Mine pollution also damages agricultural lands. There are known cases when tractors or combines ran into explosive objects during field work.
In the first two months of this year, explosives technicians were examined 53.7 thousand hectares of agricultural land. The largest areas of fields in January-February were surveyed in the Kherson region – 49.8 thousand hectares. 2.2 thousand hectares were surveyed in the Mykolaiv region, and 1.3 thousand hectares in the Kharkiv region. Lands of farmers in Dnipropetrovsk, Kyiv, etc. were also surveyed. regions
In March, the government approved the procedure for compensating farmers for the humanitarian demining of land. Now the state will compensate farmers for 80% of the cost of demining fields.
How much will demining Ukraine cost?
According to World Bank calculations, the cost of a full set of humanitarian demining works will be more than 37 billion dollars (about 1 trillion 350 billion hryvnias). At the same time, the projected revenues of the Ukrainian budget in 2024 should amount to 1 trillion 746 billion hryvnias.
International partners of Ukraine promise to provide financial support, material support and send demining specialists. Currently, a relevant UN project is already in place. In addition, sappers and equipment are sent to Ukraine by various EU states.
