Almost 70 mine action operators, more than 4,000 sappers and more than 150 pieces of equipment are currently engaged in demining in Ukraine. This was announced by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal during the Demine Ukraine Forum held in Kyiv on 2 December.

"In the first year of the full-scale war, 174,000 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory were considered potentially mined. Thanks to the solidarity of our partners and internal resources, we managed to return almost 35,500 square kilometres of Ukrainian land to use. This is a significant achievement, given that intense hostilities have been going on all this time," the Head of Government stressed.

Denys Shmyhal noted that the pace of demining is insufficient - more than 760 civilians, including 86 children, have already been injured by russian mines. In addition, there is also a risk of fires, chemical contamination of soils, and the risk of total ecosystem change. And annual losses due to mined fields reach USD 11.2 billion.

"All this encourages us to take a comprehensive approach to humanitarian demining. We are already realising it in accordance with the National Mine Action Strategy," the Prime Minister said.

The first area is the survey of potentially contaminated land. According to Denys Shmyhal, today the potentially mined area is about 139,000 square kilometres. The surveys are carried out to determine which areas are out of the risk zone and return them to farmers as quickly as possible.

"This immediately yields results. Sown areas are increasing, jobs are being created, agricultural enterprises are paying taxes and growing food exports," the Prime Minister said.

The second direction is the clearance of land from mines and shells in the areas where contamination has been detected. According to the Head of Government, nearly 70 mine action operators, more than 4,000 sappers and more than 150 pieces of equipment are currently involved in demining.

"The third direction is to attract international donor assistance. Currently, about 50 partner countries have joined the humanitarian demining coalition. The total amount of contributions is over USD 1 billion. We appreciate this solidarity and look forward to further support," the Prime Minister stressed.

The fourth direction is to increase the number of demining equipment. According to Denys Shmyhal, both Ukrainian and foreign equipment manufactured in Ukraine is already operating in the fields.

"We urge our partners to order new machines from Ukrainian enterprises. This will be a double help for our economy and our security," the Head of Government said.

The fifth direction is to have more certified mine action operators, including private ones. The Prime Minister stressed that the Government had simplified, unified and digitalised certification to the maximum extent possible. The number of operators has doubled over the year.

“The Government stands ready to compensate farmers for 100% of the cost of demining services. This creates a competitive market and encourages operators to work quickly and efficiently," said Denys Shmyhal.

The Prime Minister stressed that demining in Ukraine was an investment in the future, a contribution to a better tomorrow for all, and thanked everyone who was making this contribution these days and who would make it in the future.