Ukraine is more mined than Afghanistan and Syria, - Globsec

Ukraine is the largest mined area in the world, surpassing such former leaders as Afghanistan and Syria. At the same time, the situation continues to worsen, and the pace of demining is "very slow”.

This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing a report by the think tank Globsec.

"About 30% of Ukraine’s territory (174 000 sq.km) has been exposed to intense combat operations. This area requires survey and clearance from the vast amounts of explosive ordnance left by the invaders," the report says.

On this basis, the researchers conclude that "Ukraine is the largest mined territory in the world surpassing such former frontrunners as Afghanistan and Syria".

"The area requiring clearance is still very difficult to assess or indeed access as fighting is still ongoing: around 18% of Ukraine’s territory remains under occupation," the document adds.

At the same time, as the authors of the report note, as of today "the Kharkiv and Kherson regions remain the most "contaminated" areas of all the liberated territories," since Russian troops have been stationed there for a longer period of time.

At the same time, according to the report, the problem has worsened compared to the situation before February 2022.

"First, fighting has been heavier and longer in duration; second, a far greater range of explosive ordnance has been deployed, and, finally, the area of potentially contaminated territory is 10 times greater," the report adds.

And, as the report specifies, the pace of demining is "very slow".

"Since February 2015 16 000 sq.km in Donetsk and Lugansk regions required clearance, of which 7000 sq.km on Ukrainian-controlled territories. Actual size of territories cleared in 2015-2021 was 414,56 sq km (which is only 5,9% of the potentially contaminated  erritories in controlled areas and 2,5% of the potentially contaminated territories in both controlled and non-controlled areas)," the authors summarize.

Earlier, Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov stated that it may take more than 30 years and 5,000 specialists to completely clear the territory of Ukraine from Russian mines.

Author – Anastasiya Glotova, 27/04/2023