Ukrainian civilians being trained to remove thousands of buried landmines
Words by Sophia Ankel
Ukrainian civilians are being trained to detect and remove landmines as professional de-miners struggle to cope with the huge number of explosives planted across the country.
New figures provided to ITV News show that landmines are concealed beneath one quarter - 139,060 square kilometres - of Ukrainian territory.
The area that is almost as big as England and Wales combined.
The landmines are increasingly becoming a "safety issue", Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko told ITV News.
"We’ve had over a thousand incidents involving mines," she added.
In an effort to clear the territory, around 300 professional de-miners are working with sea and air drones to dispose of the hidden dangers - but are now saying they need the help of ordinary people.
Natalia Kirkina, a professional de-miner, told ITV News she instructs everyone from teachers in kindergartens and schools to construction workers rebuilding towns and cities.
"I teach them how to avoid mines, how to safeguard themselves and do everything to protect others," she said.
Their work is becoming increasingly urgent, according to Yakiv Hanul, another sapper, who said the landmines have mostly been left behind by fleeing Russian troops.
"Every single day, we receive requests and we respond to them. We find them in homes, schools, and in nearby forests... It is like fields of death."
Both Hanul and Kirkina are currently demining the town of Irpin, which made headlines in 2022 after it was brutally captured by Russian forces as part of their efforts to take nearby Kyiv.
Russia was eventually pushed back by Ukrainian forces, though almost 70% of the city was destroyed in the process.
But the operation is slow, and tedious, Hanul said, adding: "During the initial stage of demining of the city, everything was going alright because the city was still closed to visitors."
"But once the city opened up again, and civilians arrived, people started getting injured and it became a problem."
The explosives were everywhere, and totally unpredictable, Hanul said.
"Construction workers would pick up debris and these mines would explode in their hands."
"In one story, I was called into a home after a young girl found a detonator hidden in her grand piano in her home. Upon opening the piano wing, we found a large grenade.
"You can see, Russian soldiers were very deliberate in where they left their gifts."
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'Significant progress' made
Nearly 35,000 square kilometres of Ukrainian land has already been cleared, in what Svyrydenko calls "significant progress".
Hanul said their work has been much safer and efficient with the help of demining robots and drones, which assist in identifying potential mines or suspicious objects.
"I can tell you for sure, that the machines help us do our jobs quicker.
"But we we need innovation, we need more than just metal detectors which were produced many years ago. Of course, the war is changing, which means it is demanding new technology too."
Svyrydenko said the Ukrainian government has set an ambitious goal: to return to productive use 80% of potentially mined territories within the next ten years.
"Achieving this will require approximately $2.8 billion (£2.1 billion) annually, as the World Bank estimates the total cost of demining Ukraine at $34.6 billion (£26.5 billion)," she said.
"In addition to funding, 10,000 de-miners are needed. Equipment and demining machinery are also essential."
Ukraine also has around 100 demining machines, and around 56 operators, though many more are needed, she added.
"If we don’t act, mine-related incidents could rise to 9,000 over the next decade," she said.
For Hanul and Kirkina, getting more technology would not only make their jobs easier, but could potentially save their lives.
"Of course I understand I put my life in danger, but I am doing this so people can continue to live in my country," Kirkina said. "It is important."
United 24 is a fundraising platform for demining machines and drones
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