Ukraine’s Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Denmark had given Ukraine 6 UAVs for mine scanning.

“The Ministry of Defense of Denmark has provided 6 UAVs for mine scanning as part of the assistance package to Ukraine. These drones are used for non-technical inspection of territories, including water bodies, for the presence of explosive objects. This is the latest innovative approach to surveying territories,” Reznikov tweeted.

Local authorities regularly report civilians being blown up by explosives, particularly in the de-occupied Kherson and Kharkiv regions.

Magnetic surveying

According to dtu.dk, drones mounted with magnetometers for magnetic surveying can provide fast and reliable data for large areas and are used to scan a terrain in which it is otherwise difficult or dangerous to operate.

Two or more simultaneous recording sensors located underneath the drone provide magnetic data, so the system is less sensitive to ambient noise. Data from the recordings are processed into color maps, which give an accurate picture of any magnetic deviations and metal objects in the area.

Mine danger

Kharkiv Oblast is one of the most contaminated with explosive devices, with Kupiansk, Vovchansk and Izium forestries being the most affected.

PFM-1 is one of the most widespread anti-personnel mines that Russians leave in the occupied territories in forests, around roads, trails, parks, and even in the yards of private houses.

This land mine is a high-explosive anti-personnel landmine produced by the Soviet Union and Russia. It has several names, including the Green Parrot and the Butterfly Mine. These mines can be scattered from helicopters, combat aircrafts, and mortars. They glide to the ground without detonating and only explode upon contact at a later time.

PFM-1 mine / Photo credit: psdinfo.store

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the international community adopted the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention prohibiting the use, production, stockpiling and transferring of these weapons and requiring action to prevent and address their long-lasting effects.

See also

City demining device developed in Balakliia of Kharkiv Oblast. Prototype device designed to defuse PFM-1 anti-personnel mines.

Tractor exploded on mine in Balakliia: driver was injured. On July 12, around noon, a 55-year-old tractor driver was wounded by an explosive device left by the occupiers on the outskirts of Balakliia in Kharkiv Oblast.