Canadian charity donates manuals for Ukrainian sappers

That’s according to Lesya Granger, the head of the board of Mriya Aid, who spoke with an Ukrinform correspondent.

“This unique publication was actually drafted by sappers for their colleagues as they understand what information can save their lives and what knowledge they absolutely need. Therefore, we gladly agreed to help with printing and distributing the manual. We received positive feedback and a request for additional copies from all our partners in Ukraine,” Granger said.

According to the activist, the guide, created for civil and military demining specialists, is based on the most up-to-date information collected and structured by professional sappers working in frontline areas and combat zones.

“The content of the guide is based on images, descriptions, and other details provided by a wide network of professionals working in the field. The book includes both mines already well known to Ukrainian deminers and those that are not found elsewhere, as well as improvised explosive devices and traps that Russian invaders install in houses, gardens, and forests,” the activist said.

With the assistance from Mriya Aid, the guide was distributed to specialists from 11 Ukrainian military and rescue services, as well as licensed mine action operators.

According to the latest data from the Main Directorate of Mine Action, Civil Protection and Environmental Safety, since the large-scale invasion, the demining units of the Security and Defense Forces have detected and destroyed 893,070 explosive items, and mine action operators as part of humanitarian demining have detected and destroyed 17,845 items.

Mriya Aid was founded in February 2022 by Canadian security and management specialists, as well as former military. They named their organization after the world's largest Ukrainian-made aircraft, the An-225 Mriya, which was used to send humanitarian aid to various countries around the world. Mriya Aid organizes and pays for training and equipment programs according to International Mine Action Standards for demining for Ukrainian sappers, as well as for instructors and leaders of demining teams. The organization procures equipment in Ukraine and abroad, and specializes in managing programs to train and equip sappers to achieve maximum efficiency and effectiveness.

Photo courtesy of Mriya Aid