PM Shmyhal: Ukraine needs $37 billion for humanitarian demining

Ukraine needs $37.4 billion to carry out humanitarian demining of its lands, the country's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on April 4, citing an assessment by the World Bank.

This sum includes more than $397 million needed just for the current year, according to Shmyhal.

The prime minister called on Ukraine's partners to cooperate, particularly in the form of patronage over mined Ukrainian regions.

"Humanitarian demining will contribute to the return of life to the liberated territories," added Shmyhal. "And it will allow the implementation of other reconstruction projects, particularly on critical and transport infrastructure's recovery."

According to the Ukrainian official, the EU, the U.S., Canada, and Japan are leaders in supporting the humanitarian demining of Ukraine's lands.

Kyiv has already received $16 million in international technical assistance and is supposed to receive another $73 million.

Shmyhal said on Jan. 8 that some 250,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian land – nearly 40% of the country’s territory – have been mined since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion last year.

In June, the State Emergency Service said that after the end of the war, Ukraine would need at least ten years to demine its territory.

World Bank: Ukraine needs $411 billion for recovery

The World Bank has increased its assessment of Ukraine’s needs for recovery and reconstruction to at least $411 billion based on the damages caused by the first year of Russia’s all-out war, Bloomberg reported on March 23. This figure is equivalent to 2.6 times Ukraine’s projected gross domestic pro…

Kyiv IndependentThe Kyiv Independent news desk