The need for priority demining of agricultural land is 44,000 hectares, 13,500 square kilometers of waters of the Black and Azov seas and rivers of Ukraine are contaminated, said Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.

Speaking online at the High-Level International Donor Conference on Humanitarian Demining in Ukraine in Zagreb (Croatia) on Wednesday, the minister informed that thanks to the work of Ukrainian sappers, more than 144,000 hectares of land in Ukraine were surveyed.

"There are areas that require special attention. For example, clearing agricultural land: the need for priority demining is more than 44,000 hectares,” the minister said.

Speaking about underwater mine clearance, he noted that 13,500 square kilometers are potentially polluted waters of the Black and Azov seas, rivers, and other inland waters.

The minister drew attention to the fact that Ukraine uses an integrated approach to mine clearance: man and mechanized machine.

“But in any case, the machine copes with this task much more efficiently. To understand the rate of acceleration: 100 days of operation of one pyrotechnician is equivalent to 1 day of operation of a mine clearance machine,” he explained.

The minister clarified that currently the State Emergency Service has more than 430 pyrotechnic vehicles of various types, nine robotic systems, 22 drones and five catamarans for underwater mine clearance.

“Thanks to the support of international partners, 15 mechanized mine clearance vehicles operate in Ukraine. We plan to receive about 20 more units of such equipment from donors,” Klymenko added.