Humanitarian demining: February 2024 results
June 25, 2024
The Government has allowed certified operators to reserve from conscription 100 sappers who directly demine territories. This decision ensures that qualified demining specialists can continue their critical work despite the general mobilisation.
"Sappers are people whose work saves lives daily. By allowing operators to reserve 100 specialists, we ensure continuity of demining operations and retain the most qualified cadres in the sector," said Ihor Bezkaravainyi, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine.
The decision applies only to sappers who directly perform clearance work in the field — the most dangerous and skilled part of demining operations. Operators must provide documentation confirming that the reserved specialists are actively employed in demining.
"This is a balanced decision — we understand the importance of defence, but we also understand that humanitarian demining is a critical function. Mine contamination kills and injures civilians daily, and trained sappers are essential for addressing this threat," explained the Deputy Minister.
The reservation mechanism is transparent and controlled. Each operator can reserve a limited number of specialists based on the volume of work they perform. The list of reserved specialists is reviewed regularly.
"We are working to ensure that the mine action sector has sufficient human resources. In addition to reservation, we actively train new specialists — through vocational courses, veteran retraining programmes, and the voucher system," noted Bezkaravainyi.
