About 30% of Ukraine’s territory (174 000 sq. km) has been exposed to intense combat operations. This area requires survey and clearance from the vast amounts of explosive ordnance left by the invaders. Ukraine is consequently the largest mined territory in the world surpassing such former frontrunners as Afghanistan and Syria. More than 50.000 sq. km is the agrarian land that remains unusable – that is more than the territory of the Netherlands.

As the war is still raging, the exact area requiring clearance is hard to assess: around 18% of Ukraine’s territory remains under occupation. A considerable part of the liberated territories in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Zhytomyr, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions face the challenge of the extensive presence of landmines which pose a severe threat to civilian lives and safety. These hidden hazards continue to cause casualties and injuries, even long after conflicts have ended. Demining efforts are crucial to protect the lives and well-being of civilians and facilitating humanitarian aid and reconstruction – an essential step toward bringing peace and supporting Ukraine’s recovery and development.