Ukraine remains the most mined country in the world. Nearly one-third of Ukraine's territory, approximately 174,000 square kilometers, had been mined since Russia began its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
Over 35,000 square kilometers of previously mined territory have been cleared since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said during a government meeting on April 4.
Sweden has allocated 80 million Swedish kronor ($7.6 million) to support Ukraine's drone and demining capabilities as part of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG), the Swedish government announced in a press release on March 28.
A total of 51 million euros ($53 million) has already been raised, said Ruslan Berehulia, the head of the mine action department.
The package builds upon 20 million Australian dollars ($12.6 million) that the Australia-based charity, founded by Andrew and Nicola Forrest, has already provided for demining, food and energy security, and the protection of children.
The project aims to improve the effectiveness of humanitarian demining, test innovations, and share experiences between Ukrainian and international partners, the Defense Ministry's statement read.
Ukraine's State Emergency Service announced Jan. 18 that it received three specialized demining vehicles from Slovenia.
Editor’s Note: This story was sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine. When a sapper with the call sign "Boroda" asked his friends, the founders of the Rovertech company, to create something for demining, and provided them with his own sketch, they seized on the idea.
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