Today is International Mine Action Awareness Day: how many Ukrainians have been affected by enemy explosive devices in the ground
Kyiv • UNN
On International Mine Action Awareness Day, Ukraine faces a huge challenge: more than 155,000 square kilometers of territory are potentially mined, requiring decades of work and billions of dollars to clear, while since the beginning of the Russian invasion, 277 Ukrainians, including 14 children, have been killed by mines.
Today, on April 4, various events are taking place in many countries around the world on the occasion of the International Day of Mine Risk Education and Assistance in Mine Action, UNN reports.
Unfortunately, since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, this event has become more than relevant for Ukraine.
According to government officials and experts, more than 155,000 square kilometers of territory in Ukraine are currently potentially mined. It will take up to 70 years, about $37 billion, and more than ten thousand sappers to completely clear Ukraine of mines.
Since the beginning of the war, sapper units have destroyed more than 750 thousand different explosive devices.
Unfortunately, since February 24, 2022, 277 Ukrainians, including 14 children, have been killed by mines and other explosive devices. Sixty-one people have been injured, including 74 children.
Sappers and rescuers regularly remind the basic rules of mine safety.
Strictly prohibited:
- Touching the found object, moving it or doing any other actions with it, especially trying to disassemble or neutralize it;
- Do not carry out any work near the found object, especially those that may cause even minor ground vibrations;
- Smoking, using lighters, as well as other sources of open flame and objects that can create it;
- Use electronic devices (cell phones, remote controls, car alarms, etc.);
- Fill the object with liquids, cover it with soil, try to cover it with something, or perform other actions on it: sound, light, heat, mechanical, etc;
- Do not allow people to gather in the immediate vicinity of the found object.
What to do if you find explosive devices:
- Stop, don't touch anything. Stay calm, avoid panic. Remember the location of the object;
- Alert people nearby to the detected object;
- If you or people around you are doing any work, stop it immediately;
- Move away yourself and take the people next to you as far as possible (at least 100 meters) from the found object. At the same time, you should leave along the same route (preferably in the same direction) as you came. If a group of people is leaving, they should move in a column, one by one, in the same way, trail after trail;
- Report the discovery of a suspicious object to law enforcement agencies and special services by calling 101 or 102 (the report should be made without haste, clearly, with the exact address (landmarks) of the location of the explosive object);
- If possible, take measures to prevent unauthorized persons from entering the danger zone until law enforcement or special services arrive. Immediately report the discovery of a suspicious object to law enforcement or special services.
