Serhiy Magera, member of the Parliament of Ukraine, member of the Committee on Environmental Policy and Nature Management

 

Ukraine is the world's most mined country. According to Sky News, due to the full-scale invasion of Russia, up to 40% of the territory of our state is currently mined. It’s like the territory of Romania or Great Britain.

250 thousand square kilometers of the territory of Ukraine are dangerous not only for Ukrainians, but also for Europe and the world in general. The main explosive regions are Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Kherson regions. Eastern Ukraine is one of the most polluted regions in the world. What do these numbers hide? How much money and time will be needed to overcome this danger?

At the end of 2022, a man and his seven-year-old son were blown up by a landmine in Kharkiv region. Another story: in the summer on the coast of the Black Sea near Odessa, a man was blown up by a mine. He died there. In March 2023, three men were killed by a landmine near Snigurivka, which was freed from occupation, in the Mykolayiv region. Unfortunately, there are many such stories.

According to the Mines Advisory Group, from February 24, 2022 to January 10, 2023, at least 611 civilians were injured by mines in Ukraine. At that time, for example, in the first six years of the war, there were 1190 such cases.

According to representatives of the State Emergency Service, since the beginning of the war, sappers have defused more than 320,000 explosive objects.

Now the territory of Ukraine is full of explosive devices, which are prohibited for use in the civilized world. I emphasize: in the civilized world. Russia does not belong to it. One of the most dangerous for the population is the so-called jumping fragmentation mine with a seismic proximity sensor. It’s able to kill even when no one has approached it yet.

It jumps up from the ground to a height of one meter. Such mines are able to scatter fragments with a diameter of at least 16 meters. According to the Ottawa Convention, the use of these mines has been prohibited since 1997. Ukraine signed this convention like 164 other countries.

But not Russia.

In early April, the government commissioned the creation of the State Center for Humanitarian Demining, which will participate in the planning of mine action activities. But clearing territories from mines is a very expensive.

According to the Prime Minister Denys Shmygal, Ukraine needs about 37 billion dollars for this matter. It is necessary to find a dangerous device and neutralize it. It is necessary to clean the ground. Especially the fields that are directly involved in sowing operations. However, now a large amount of fertile Ukrainian land is unsuitable for cultivation at all. Although crops from these lands could feed more than 80 million people worldwide.

It is good that humanitarian demining for farmers is carried out free of charge - it is financed by foreign donors. But sappers are not enough for everyone.

According to preliminary estimates, about 470,000 hectares of agricultural land in nine regions of Ukraine need to be surveyed and demined.

It is currently impossible to calculate the economic losses due to mine contamination of these areas. But the worst thing is the death of Ukrainian civilians who, returning to their hometowns, may come across landmines.

How many years will it take to make Ukraine safe to live in? According to experts, at least 10 years. And if we look at the experience of other countries, such as Kosovo and Georgia, the process can be delayed. The war in Kosovo lasted throughout 1998-1999, but the demining of the territories is only now being completed.

In Georgia, for example, the hostilities of 2008 didn’t last as long, but demining also took 10 years. Only in 2018, the organization Halo Trust declared Georgia a "mine-free country". However, dangerous finds still occur in the country - 3-4 mines or other munitions during the year. And the war in Ukraine has not yet ended.

That is why we are appealing to all possible partners and donors to help us in demining our territories today. Because every day of waiting is equivalent to the loss of innocent lives of our fellow citizens.