Corps of 5000 demining specialists established in Ukraine

Photo: The deminer corps will consist of 5000 specialists (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)

Ukraine has created a demining corps. The task will be performed by 5000 specialists in the de-occupied territories, according to Ruslan Berehulia, head of the Main Department of Mine Action of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.

“The deminer corps has been created. Today, units of the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of Ukraine have joined it and will perform tasks in the de-occupied territories. 1,000 demining groups have already been created,” he says.

According to him, these units are already working in the Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Kharkiv regions.

However, there is still a difficulty – there is a lack of sufficient vehicles, special equipment, and machinery.

“We are working with our foreign partners who have joined the Coalition for Demining. Thanks to our joint work, we should expect to receive material and technical assistance shortly. This will allow us to complete the units that are part of the Demining Corps,” Berehulia says.

Mine clearance in Ukraine

Due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and active hostilities, Ukraine is contaminated with explosive devices. Some analysts call Ukraine the most mined country in the world.

More than a quarter of Ukraine’s territory is contaminated with mines and explosives. The worst situation remains in the de-occupied regions.

Last April, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that Ukraine was launching a new state policy on humanitarian demining and called on other countries to help in this area.