On 28 June, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the National Mine Action Strategy until 2033 and the Operational Plan for its implementation for the next three years.

“Today we have approved a programme document that defines the main directions and tasks of state policy in the field of mine action. We have a list of steps and indicators to be achieved in order to reduce the impact of explosive hazards on people’s lives and the economy of Ukraine in the next 10 years. It is important that some of the tasks set out in the Strategy are already in place. We have launched a compensation programme for agricultural land clearance, unified the certification procedure for operators, and our partners are purchasing equipment and machinery for humanitarian demining, including Ukrainian-made equipment,” said Yuliia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine.

The adopted document defines three strategic goals:

• Ensuring that the territories are free from the risks of explosive hazards for their safe and productive use;
• Reducing the impact of explosive hazards on human life and health;
• Developing a mine action management system.

The Mine Action Strategy, in particular, states that in order to achieve the first strategic objective, in 2024-2026, it will be necessary to survey the maximum number of de-occupied territories to determine the status of contamination. The capacity of state mine action operators should also be strengthened and conditions created for the development of the primary healthcare market.

It is also important to reduce the impact of mines and other explosive hazards on people’s lives. That is why the state’s task for the next three years will be to increase public awareness of mined areas and mark such areas, to raise awareness of the risks associated with explosive hazards, and to introduce a system of protection for victims of mines and other explosive hazards.

“A high-quality mine action management system can significantly increase the efficiency of processes. Clear and unified procedures, clear coordination at both the national and international levels are what we have now. By the end of this year, the Ministry of Economy plans to launch a pilot system for prioritising mine action tasks. This will allow us to strengthen our demining capacity through the efficient use of available resources,” said Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Ihor Bezkaravainyi.

The Operational Plan, which is an integral part of the Strategy, sets out a detailed list of activities for 2024-2026. The operational plan is adopted every three years with a three-year implementation period.

The adoption of the Mine Action Strategy is one of the indicators of the Ukraine Facility, a financial support programme for Ukraine provided by the European Union.

The Mine Action Strategy was developed by the Ministry of Economy in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other central executive authorities, with the involvement of Ukrainian and international experts. This allowed the Strategy to reflect international experience while taking into account Ukrainian realities.