Ukraine has become the most mined country in the world. How long will demining take?

Ukraine has become the most mined country in the world due to armed conflicts, and the demining process may take decades. Explosive devices have contaminated an area of territory approximately equivalent to the size of Florida or Uruguay. According to experts' estimates, Ukraine faces a prolonged process of removing the danger of mines and ordnance, which will last until the end of the war. This information is reported by The Washington Post.

It is worth noting that the number of explosive devices in Ukraine sets an absolute record for the past 30 years. Greg Croucher, the director of the Humanitarian Mine Action program at the Mines Advisory Group, specializing in demining and explosive safety, expresses this opinion.

Research has shown that Russian forces used mines of various types, including those triggered by the weight of a person, not sparing the civilian population from the effects of hostilities. This has already caused significant human losses, including 298 deaths among civilians and 22 children killed by explosive objects during the war.

Despite certain norms and standards regulating the use of mines, the impact of landmines, mortar shells, artillery projectiles, and other types of explosives poses a significant threat to the population. The demining process is extremely complex, expensive, and dangerous, with its cost potentially reaching billions of dollars.

Earlier, in June, the representative of the State Emergency Service (DSNS), Oleksandr Khorunzhy, provided an optimistic assessment of Ukraine's demining, mentioning a timeframe of approximately 10 years. However, he added that there is currently no complete data on the situation in the territories of Ukraine occupied by the Russian authorities.

"Ukraine leads in terms of the volume of mined areas worldwide," noted Roman Prymush, the Deputy Head of the State Emergency Service. According to the DSNS estimates, it will take nearly ten years for the complete demining of Ukrainian waters and land.