Map for Demining Fields to Be Created in Kharkiv Oblast

Approximately 570,000 hectares of agricultural land in Kharkiv region have been mined. Among them, 159,000 were approved for priority demining, deputy head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Yevhen Ivanov reported.

International organizations, including the FSD and the UN, are involved in demining the territories. They are ready to start work in Izyum district. First, they will inspect agricultural enterprises cultivating up to 500 hectares of fields.

They will also develop a map of mined farmland, recording the locations of hits and whether there was any fighting on the territory, and then investigate the suitability of the soil for farming.

Anti-personnel mine PFM-1

Kharkiv Oblast is one of the most contaminated with explosive devices in the world, 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.

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 these weapons and requiring action to prevent and address their long-lasting effects.

Denmark hands over 6 UAVs to Ukraine for mine scanning

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

“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.

See also

• Nearly 72,000 explosives have been defused since the full-scale invasion began. Currently, 31 pyrotechnic crews of the State Emergency Service are working in Kharkiv region, including 157 deminers and 62 units of special equipment.
• City demining device developed in Balakliia of Kharkiv Oblast. Balakliia local specialists have developed an experimental device for checking the territory for explosive devices. It is designed to work in urban environments where specialized mechanized sapper equipment can’t operate. Today, the first demining was done in the city using the device.