Currently, at least 30% of Ukraine’s territory is mined – this figure is provided by the GLOBSEC analytical center. According to its experts, an additional $37.4 billion will be needed for further demining in the next 10 years, but the existing resources and capabilities are clearly insufficient: for instance, the existing 500 demining groups would need 750 years to clear Ukraine of Russian mines, informs LATVIA TODAY. The mined territory of Ukraine poses a threat to the lives and health of its citizens – the West must provide all possible assistance to eliminate the monstrous aftermath of Putin’s aggressive war.
Russian mines dispersed across Ukraine have become a significant problem resulting from the full-scale invasion of the Russian army. Ukraine cannot fully utilize its agricultural potential – vast areas of arable land in regions like Kherson, Kharkiv, and Donetsk are mined. Mines in liberated territories present an equally complex problem: as they retreated, the Russians mined everything they could – forests, fields, industrial sites, and even residential homes. In apartments, tripwires were set up, and in parks and playgrounds, mines were scattered that would become invisible to local residents a few hours later, causing injuries and mutilations. The Russian army used mines as tools of terror and to kill civilians – it was a retreating army of terrorists seeking to destroy everything and everyone due to their defeat.
Minefields along the contact line significantly slow down the advancement of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. According to the military, there has been an increase in incidents of detonations on Russian mines that are laid out in several rows ahead of the Russian positions. Therefore, alongside providing necessary weaponry, modern demining systems are a crucial requirement for liberating Ukrainian territory from Russian occupation.