SES, National Police sappers clear over 2,400 km² of Ukraine
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, sappers from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) and the National Police have cleared over 2,400 km² of Ukrainian territory.
Ukrinform reported this, citing Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Bohdan Drapiatyi, who shared the information on Facebook following a meeting with international donors at the Office for Mine Action.
"Since the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, SES and National Police sappers have cleared over 2,400 km². For context, this area is roughly the size of Luxembourg," Drapiatyi noted.
According to the deputy minister, Ukraine has become a global hub for humanitarian demining over the course of more than three years of full-scale war.
"Ukrainian sappers have tested nearly all modern technologies and developed effective methods for using mechanized demining machines and drones," he added.
Drapiatyi emphasized that providing Ukraine with assistance in clearing explosive devices is an investment in food, environmental, energy, and social security.
He also reported that the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) currently has 106 mechanized demining machines.
"We are especially grateful for the mechanized demining machines (106 in the MIA system), high-quality protective equipment, armored vehicles for transporting personnel and explosive devices, metal detectors, and other critical support," Drapiatyi stated.
The deputy minister also highlighted that Ukraine had made significant progress in using innovative technologies for humanitarian demining combining them with traditional methods to maximize efficiency and quality.
"We are already using drones equipped with magnetometers that detect surface anomalies helping to identify the locations of unexploded ordnance," Drapiatyi explained.
As Ukrinform previously reported, at the beginning of the year, the MIA had 101 mechanized demining machines at its disposal.