Ukrainian deminers survey almost 20,000 hectares of farmland in one week

Last week, Ukrainian deminers set an all-time record for clearing agricultural land. Units from the State Emergency Service, the Ministry of Defence, the State Special Transport Service and private mine action operators surveyed 19,485 hectares of land subject to priority inspection and, where necessary, demining.

“We have good news. In the last week alone, mine clearance experts have surveyed some 20,000 hectares of agricultural land. This is a very significant achievement: the rate of survey has increased many times over compared to previous periods. There is still no record of demining in areas where explosive devices have been found. We will be able to achieve a significant acceleration in this area when the appropriate equipment arrives in Ukraine. We are now working very actively with our partners on this. But the good news is that the work is progressing at a steady pace,” said Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine.

According to the First Deputy Prime Minister, the pace of the survey will continue to accelerate in the future. This will be made possible by the use of the latest survey technologies, including drones. On the initiative of the Ministry of Economy and with the support of UNDP, Ukraine is currently implementing a programme to test relevant Western technologies.

According to the regional military administrations, the largest areas surveyed last week were in Kharkiv region – 14,855 hectares. In Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, more than 2,000 hectares each were surveyed. Surveys were also carried out in Kyiv and Chernihiv regions.

The four-year plan for priority rehabilitation of agricultural land includes the survey and, where necessary, clearance or demining of some 470,000 hectares of valuable farmland. By the end of 2023, 165,000 hectares (35%) of this land is expected to be brought back into use.

IC UAC according to the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine