Ukraine to create centralized demining hub

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Feb. 11 that Ukraine would create a centralized demining hub. Serving as an analytical center, it will process the information on the needs for demining provided by ministries, regional administrations, partner countries, and international organizations.

The "Ukrainian Center for Humanitarian Demining" will help improve coordination between all these actors and help to attract all possible resources for demining, a first step towards reconstruction, Shmyhal said.

Ukraine is one of the most mined countries in the world due to Russia’s invasion, according to Shmyhal.

He previously reported 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.

“It’s currently the largest minefield in the world,” Shmyhal said earlier.

The large-scale mining of Ukrainian land makes it difficult and highly dangerous for local farmers to grow crops and harvest, putting at risk one of the country’s most vital industries.

During the summer harvest, several farmers died in the Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts when their tractors hit a landmine during fieldwork.

Earlier, the State Emergency Service reported that after the end of the war, Ukraine would need at least 10 years to demine its territory.

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The Kyiv Independent