In the south of Ukraine, Ukrainian sappers are faced with a deadly math problem: 3,000 deminers versus 180,000 square kilometers (and Russian forces adding more mines nightly) of territory that is mine-ridden.
The international minesweeper officer instructs his demining team to not panic if they hear explosions.
On this scorching August afternoon, his Norwegian People Aid team is working in Maksymivka. This small village in Mykolaiv Oblast is located 40 kilometers from the Kherson Front. During the early stages, the frontline ran through this hamlet where Russians set up fire points to target Ukraine-controlled regions.
Nearly 80% of the houses in the village were destroyed by the Russian occupation. By the time the village was liberated in 2022, only 10 households were still occupied, and 60% of the village’s territory had been contaminated with landmines.
The only sounds that can be heard are the drones and the clinking tools. While Russian troops are no longer a threat to returning residents, buried landmines still pose a serious danger to those who are trying to rebuild.
The world’s most-mined country
Since the beginning of Russia’s invasion in February 20, 2022, Ukraine is now one of the most mined nations, surpassing nations such as Afghanistan, Vietnam, or Syria. According to the UN around 180,000 square km (69,500 sq mi) — or over 30% of Ukraine — is now contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordinance.
These figures show the daily uphill battle that demining teams face.
Norwegian People’s Aid is one such team. This humanitarian NGO provides relief in areas affected by conflict in more than 30 countries. Since launching its mine-action program in May 2022 NPA has supported Ukraine’s national mine-action operator, becoming the country’s only international organization accredited to conduct comprehensive mine-action.
NPA has also equipped and trained personnel to deploy 19 manual clearance teams in the Mykolaiv oblast and Kherson oblast in southern Ukraine. These areas were liberated in November of 2022. A coordinator in the region, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons, recalled the early days when the team was only able to clear one square meter of land per day.
With the introduction of modern equipment today, productivity has increased by tenfold. “With the new equipment, even manual deminers work faster now,” says the coordinator.
The speed of operations is now faster thanks to technological game-changers such as drones, binoculars and rangefinders – optical, laser or ultrasonic devices which measure distances from target objects. These tools enable teams to detect unexploded ordnances without having to enter hazardous areas.
These tools allow non-technical surveyors to find mines using technology and interviews without having to break ground. This approach has improved both the safety and precision in demining efforts.
The drones provide us with a bird’s eye view of the mines. The drones allow us to identify hazards without harming anyone,” explains the officer.
Despite progress, the task is still monumental. Each month brings new challenges, depending on the terrain and density of mines.
The officer says, “It is difficult to compare minesweeping operations from one month to another or one site to the next. They can be quite random.” “But in general, we’ve seen significant improvements. In some cases, we’ve gone up from clearing a few square metres to clearing thousands.
As humanitarian demining advances, so do the Russian troops.
The TM-62 anti-tank mine, a Soviet-era mine that is widely used by Russian troops in Ukraine, is the leading cause. The TM-62 mine is designed to disable or destroy heavy armored vehicle. It is usually triggered by a vehicle applying pressure of approximately 150 kilograms (330 lb).
Russia has also begun using drones to drop mines directly onto enemy positions, including TM-62 versions. This tactic allows for precision attacks while keeping ground forces safe.
It could also disperse mines over a wider area, turning previously safe zones into dangerous spots and throwing the demining effort off balance.
Where lives are balanced on a knife-edge
Demining is a necessity for Ukraine. Demining is vital for agriculture, civilian movement, and reconstruction. The contamination is so severe that entire villages are now ghost towns in the worst-hit areas.
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