Landmine explosion kills 2 farmers in Kherson Oblast

Two farmers were killed in an explosion caused by an unidentified landmine while cultivating a field near the village of Dobrianka in Kherson Oblast, according to the southern oblast's military administration.

Another civilian was injured in a booby trap explosion near the river port in the regional capital of Kherson.

The 63-year-old man was hospitalized, according to the report.

The regional government warned locals to avoid the areas not yet inspected by sappers.

Ukraine’s Armed Forces liberated the western bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast in November 2022 during a major counteroffensive in the south.

Main roads have since been cleared from explosives Russia left behind. However, mines can still be found in local forests and fields.

Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in January that Ukraine had become “the largest minefield in the world” due to the Russian invasion.

The large-scale mining of Ukrainian land makes it difficult and highly dangerous for local farmers to grow crops and harvest, putting at risk the country’s vital industries. During the summer harvest, farmers were killed in several regions across Ukraine when their tractors hit landmines or pieces of unexploded ordnance during work.

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The Kyiv Independent