Russian Army instrumentalizing environment - Ukraine’s MoD

Colonel Yevhenii Zubarevskyi, deputy head of the Mine Action Division at the Ministry of Defense, said the Russian army exploits the environment as a means of warfare.

That’s according to the MoD press service, Ukrinform reports.

"After demining, our specialists survey these territories in order to determine the optimal methods of returning the territories of communities, forests, and farmlands to use," Zubarevsky noted at a Kyiv conference.

He emphasized that one of the main problems with demining is the constant risk of more strikes. The aggressor employs cluster munitions and mines that can contaminate already cleared areas.

"In some areas, in a day, the invaders would fire 550 artillery rounds targeting an area of a square kilometer. In such areas, mine action experts find the remains of various hazardous chemical compounds, heavy metals, and other explosive decay products," added Major Vladyslav Dudar, a representative from the same mine action unit.

According to the official, up to 80,000 enemy artillery rounds fired per month are recorded in some areas. Also, experts constantly analyze the quality of soils in demined areas.

Currently, similar surveys are being conducted in Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. Specialists work to provide landowners with ways to quickly restore affected areas and estimate the cost of land restoration.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, Switzerland is hosting a Mine Action Conference, being attended by Ukraine’s delegation headed by Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

Photo: Ministry of Defense