Humanitarian demining results for August 2024
January 8, 2025
Demining results for 2024: sappers returned 17,000 square kilometres of land to use. The annual summary of humanitarian demining was presented by the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine.
"2024 was a year of significant achievements for humanitarian demining in Ukraine. Sappers returned 17,000 square kilometres of land to safe use — that is an area comparable to a large European country. Behind these numbers are the lives of hundreds of thousands of people who can now safely live, work, and farm," said Ihor Bezkaravainyi, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine.
Key achievements of 2024 include: the number of certified mine action operators increased to over 100, the number of sappers exceeded 4,000, and the fleet of heavy demining machines reached 98 units. Several Ukrainian-made demining machines received certification and began serial production.
"A crucial result of the year was the launch and expansion of the agricultural land demining compensation programme. Dozens of auctions were held, contracts were signed, and thousands of hectares of agricultural land were cleared and returned to farmers," noted the Deputy Minister.
Significant progress was also achieved in innovation — pilot projects on the use of artificial intelligence, drones, and robotic platforms for demining were launched. Ukraine became a recognised global leader in implementing innovative approaches to mine action.
"International partners significantly increased their support in 2024. At the UMAC 2024 conference in Lausanne, partner countries committed hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funding. This support is critically important for achieving our strategic goal — returning 80% of contaminated lands to productive use within 10 years," emphasised Bezkaravainyi.
The Ministry also noted the development of the regulatory framework — the adoption of the National Mine Action Strategy, new standards, and the creation of institutional mechanisms for sector coordination.
