MARTOVE, UKRAINE, Apr 15 — Yesterday, on April 14, a 64-year-old man was injured by an anti-personnel mine explosion on the shore of a reservoir near the village of Martove, Chuhuiv district, reported the State Emergency Service in the Kharkiv Oblast.

The Emergency Service says the man stepped on an anti-personnel mine while fishing. Now, he’s in the hospital with several shrapnel wounds to his right leg.

Currently, more than 570,000 hectares of agricultural land in the Kharkiv region need to be inspected for mines and explosive devices after the Russian occupation. About 1.2 million hectares are considered to be contaminated. According to Oleh Syniehubov, the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, 138 sapper teams are working on demining the region — and, to accelerate the process, another 300 are needed.

Most often, people step on Russian “Petal” (PFM-1) anti-personnel landmines that are triggered by pressure. They are very dangerous because they can be disguised as grass or foliage.

According to the Minister of Internal Affairs Ihor Klymenko, 289 people, including 15 children, have been killed by explosives since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

How to report mines and/or other explosive objects in Ukraine

  • Submit a request through the SES application for demining (iOS and Android);
  • In the MineFree app for demining (iOS and Android);
  • Call 101 or 102.

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  • A truck with a trailer exploded on a mine near the village of Ivanivka in the Chkalovske community, Chuhuiv district, reported the Main Department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Kharkiv Oblast.