Zelensky: Almost a third of Ukrainian territory unsafe due to mines and unexploded ordinance

Mines and unexploded ordinance from Russia's war have made almost a third of Ukrainian territory unsafe, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an evening address on Oct. 14.

The issue of demining and clearing of explosive materials was discussed at a two-day conference in the Croatian capital Zagreb on Oct. 11. More than 40 countries and international organizations took part in the conference, and they jointly pledged almost 500 million euros ($530 million) to assist in the effort.

The Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers also announced on Oct. 10 that Croatia and Ukraine also signed a bilateral agreement on demining operations. Croatia has already distributed one million euros for demining purposes.

Around 250 people have been killed so far by mines in Ukraine, and more than 500 have been injured, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Oct. 9. Another six million are likely threatened.

Zelensky also praised international partners in his address and thanked the U.K., Norway, Spain, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands for announcing the delivery of new weapons packages.  

Progress has been made on the F-16 coalition, Zelensky added, thanking the U.S., the Netherlands, and Denmark for co-chairing the initiative.

Russia is covering Ukraine with landmines. Clearing them will be extremely difficult

In March 2022 right after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, a cell phone video apparently taken by a Russian soldier captured two “Zemledeliye” mobile mine-laying systems thought to be stationed in Kharkiv Oblast. Positioned against a drab backdrop of what was once farmland, the “Zemledeli…

The Kyiv IndependentRich Wordsworth