A quarter of Ukraine's territory is currently contaminated with mines and explosive remnants of war – an area larger than the whole of England. They claim the lives of hundreds of people, deprive communities of roads, fields, and parks, and turn everyday life into a dangerous game with death. This is stated in a material by The Guardian, writes UNN.
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Ukraine is among the most heavily mined countries in the world. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, over a million mines and unexploded ordnance have been scattered across Ukrainian land. According to official data from the State Emergency Service, at least 359 people have already died because of them, including 18 children, and about a thousand have been injured.
In the northeast, in Shostka, Sumy region, less than 50 km from the border with the Russian Federation, people live under a double threat: "Shahed" and artillery attacks can bring immediate death, while mines left after shelling can do so weeks or even years later.
Mines are everywhere now: dropped from drones, scattered by rockets. Two weeks ago, a family was blown up on a road they had used for years. This mine was recently installed, probably by a drone
Such tragedies are not an exception. In the south, in Kherson, Lyudmyla Kryvorotko lost two children when their car was blown up by a Russian mine.
My 19-year-old son and 22-year-old daughter died instantly. The younger children were injured but survived
Two years after the tragedy, their bodies are still covered in scars, and their lives – in fear.
Mines become real "time traps". They can look like a stone, a toy, or a small object in the grass. Among them are Soviet "butterflies" that have been maiming children in Afghanistan for decades and are now found in large numbers in Ukraine.
According to UN estimates, clearing Ukrainian lands will be the largest and most complex humanitarian demining operation in the world. Anti-tank and anti-vehicle mines with powerful charges, thousands of unexploded shells and mortars – all this will remain a deadly threat for years.
At the same time, Ukraine, unlike many neighbors, is forced to revise its policy regarding the Ottawa Convention, which prohibits the use of most types of landmines. The government explains: in the conditions of Russian aggression, the country has the right to ensure defense, even if it means using mines to protect against an offensive.
Despite this, humanitarian demining remains a priority. In the Sumy region, for example, volunteers together with the Red Cross conduct training for civilians. They explain how to recognize dangerous objects and what absolutely not to do. But, as Kyselova admits, people are gradually getting used to the war.
Until it personally affects them, they think it's normal. The biggest risk is children and teenagers. Children pick up everything, and teenagers look for adventures
The Guardian emphasizes that Ukraine is already paying a terrible price for its fields and roads to become safe again. But the real struggle with the "invisible front" is just beginning, and it will last for decades.
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