One-third of Ukraine’s territory is mined, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 740 Ukrainians have been affected by Russian mines, with 242 fatalities and 498 suffering injuries of varying severity. Approximately 30% of Ukraine’s territory is now contaminated with mines.

This information reported by Nikolay Didyk, Deputy Head of the Pyrotechnic Works Organization Department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

Didyk noted that 76 children have been injured by mines, with 13 of them losing their lives. According to his data, 174,000 square kilometers, or about 30% of Ukraine’s territory, are mined due to Russia’s war, including 13,500 square kilometers in water bodies.

Currently, pyrotechnicians have examined contaminated areas, totaling 93,000 hectares of land and 7,500 hectares of water. They have discovered and neutralized 427,000 explosive objects, including anti-personnel mines, cluster munitions, and remotely operated mines.

Didyk highlighted that rescuers are focusing their attention on demining the areas that have been liberated and on restoring the infrastructure of these regions. He mentioned that over 700 pyrotechnicians and 200 pieces of equipment are involved in demining efforts on a daily basis.

Previously, the State Emergency Service reported that since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 221 people have died due to mines and other explosive objects, with around 450 individuals injured. According to the State Emergency Service, Ukraine requires humanitarian demining efforts on an area of approximately 270,000 square kilometers, and it may take up to ten years to fully clear these areas.

The World Bank estimates that the complete demining process in Ukraine will cost $37.4 billion, with $1.5 billion needed for the priority demining of agricultural land.

In late May, the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Ukraine, Denys Burov, stated that Ukraine is currently the most heavily mined country in the world.

The Washington Post previously reported that it could take hundreds of years to fully clear Ukraine of mines, unexploded artillery shells, and bombs. Experts estimate that the overall mined territory is comparable to the size of the U.S. state of Florida or the country of Uruguay. Since one deminer can clear 15 to 25 square meters per day, the 500 demining teams currently operating would need 757 years to complete their work.