The first certified mine action operator received a certificate through Diia
August 25, 2025
The performance became part of the art project “Free Land Sounds,” designed to draw attention to the importance of clearing Ukrainian land from mines and other explosive ordnance. Singer Daniela Zaiushkina (Vivienne Mort) became the first star participant in the campaign and performed the folk song “Zirochka” (Little Star) for Ukraine's Independence Day.
The campaign is implemented by the national platform for accelerating demining Demine Ukraine, the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine.
The filming of Vivienne Mort's art video took place in a field belonging to the Institute of Potato Research of the NAAS of Ukraine in the Kyiv region. In 2024, it was one of the first fields to be cleared of mines and other explosive ordnance under the state program for agricultural land demining compensation.
The main message of the “Free Land Sounds” campaign is to show through art that on a field where just yesterday there was a deadly threat, after demining, life returns, wheat sprouts, and free Ukrainian music plays. The campaign was launched for Independence Day to symbolically congratulate Ukrainians and once again emphasize: independence is not an abstraction, it is the freedom that Ukrainians are reclaiming meter by meter.
"I sang a Ukrainian folk song to emphasize that our culture has lived on this land for centuries. Just recently, this field was mined, and thanks to the work of sappers, operators, and equipment, there is safety and life here again. I was born in Kyiv, and it is an honor for me to congratulate Ukraine on Independence Day right here, on the cleared land of Kyiv. We will not give Ukraine to anyone, we are not going anywhere from here. We love this land, its nature, its songs, and its freedom," emphasized Daniela Zaiushkina.
"Demining is the zero stage of Ukraine's recovery. We constantly echo this message, and today I am grateful to our partners from UNDP in Ukraine for supporting educational initiatives, including artistic ones. Because it is through creativity and emotions that we can convey complex but important meanings and draw the attention of Ukrainians," commented Ihor Bezkaravainyi, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine, on the launch of the campaign.
It is important to note that today about 23% of Ukraine's territory remains potentially mined. This includes thousands of hectares of agricultural land, forests, roads, and infrastructure. Nearly 37 thousand square kilometers have been returned to safe use. Ukrainian and international operators, sappers, and equipment are working on this every day. To save human lives and accelerate demining, Ukraine also uses its own innovations: drones, robots, and artificial intelligence systems.
"Effective demining is much more than clearing territories of explosive remnants of war. It is about saving human lives, restoring the economy, and creating conditions for the safe return of people to their homes, farms, and normal lives. Together with national and international partners, we are actively working to ensure a safer and more prosperous future for the country. Ukraine has demonstrated extraordinary leadership by turning humanitarian demining into a stable system. We at UNDP are proud to support this direction by laying the institutional foundations necessary for long-term success," emphasized Auke Lootsma, UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine.
Without demining, there is no safety, you cannot rebuild, sow, open schools, or develop communities. Therefore, the safety that sappers return to Ukrainian lands by clearing them of the remnants of war is precisely what freedom is.
