EU launches humanitarian initiative for de-mining in Ukraine
Illustrative photo (Getty Images)
The European Union is launching a new humanitarian program for demining the territory of Ukraine, providing funding of 2 million euros, according to the EU representation in Ukraine.
The project, supported by the European Commission's Foreign Policy Instruments Service, aims to clear areas affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance.
As part of the initiative, 16 Belgian Malinois will be sent to Ukraine together with eight Ukrainian mentors. All of them underwent intensive five-month training in Cambodia. These teams will deal with the demining of the liberated territories, including the Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Kharkiv regions, which were badly affected by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Most of the mentors previously studied at the Sumy National Agrarian University of Ukraine, where they not only mastered training skills but also completed manual demining courses.
The project is implemented in cooperation with the humanitarian organizations APOPO, which specializes in the use of animals for demining, and the Mine Advisory Group (MAG). Dog teams will help speed up the demining process and make it more accurate, which is especially important in difficult terrain and dense vegetation.
Demining in Ukraine
As a result of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a large part of the territory of Ukraine turned out to be mined, but the state services are gradually carrying out work on its clearance.
According to Ukraine's Minister of Economy Yulia Svyridenko, now about 30% of mine clearance operators are women, and the government plans to increase their share in this field.
