Explosions caused by mines killed a farmer in Kherson Oblast and wounded another farmer in Kharkiv Oblast, regional officials reported on March 19.
Ukraine has become one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said in October 2023 that mines threaten the lives of around six million Ukrainians.
A farmer was herding cattle near the village of Molodetske in the Kherson district when he found a mine left by Russian troops and collected it, after which the mine detonated, killing the man, according to Kherson Oblast Governor Oleksandr Prokudin.
Prokudin urged residents not to touch any suspicious objects they find and to report the findings to the police or rescuers.
Rich Wordsworth
Ukraine's Armed Forces liberated Kherson and other regional settlements on the west bank of the Dnipro River in the fall 2022 counteroffensive. At least two years will be required to de-mine Ukrainian-controlled territory in Kherson Oblast, Prokudin said earlier.
Another Ukrainian farmer was working in a field in the Barvinkove community near Kharkiv Oblast’s Izium when his tractor drove over a mine, Oleksandr Balo, the head of the community, told Suspilne news outlet.
He suffered injuries due to the explosion and received medical assistance, added Balo.
Mines and other explosives have killed over 270 Ukrainians and wounded over 600 since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, an official within Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said on Feb. 29.
Asami Terajima
