Ukraine, world's most mined country, takes 757 years to demine: WashPo

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
22 Jul 2023 22:25
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It would take 500 demining teams and 757 years to clear all of Ukrainian-controlled territories of its mine-infested areas at the current pace.

An interior ministry sapper collects mines on a minefield after recent battles in Irpin close to Kiev, Ukraine, April 19, 2022 (AP)

The Washington Post reported on Saturday that Ukraine has become the world's most mined country in the world, with mine-infested swathes of land that are as large as the states of Florida or Uruguay.

According to estimates, about 30 percent of Ukrainian-controlled territory is covered with land mines, which accounts for 67,000 square miles. An exact assessment is impossible, the report notes, stating that the ongoing conflict makes it difficult to do so.

It is probable the the mine issue in Ukraine is more serious than that of Afghanistan or Syria, the report adds.

Official records from the UN show that since the start of the conflict, 298 civilian deaths have resulted from mines. Things are likely to get worse as both sides of the conflict use light-weight anti-personnel mines and pose a greater threat to people, WashPo added.

Russian and Ukrainian armed forces also use anti-tank mines which are not as threatening to civilians. The report noted that not all types of mines can self-destruct and have to be removed at some point in time, the report notes.

Both Ukraine and Russia use anti-tank mines as well, which are not as dangerous to civilians as anti-personnel mines. However, not all types can self-destruct, which leads to concerns about needing to be removed later, posing a constant danger, the newspaper added.

According to experts, it would take 500 demining teams and 757 years to clear all of the Ukrainian-controlled territories of its mine-infested areas at the current pace.

The process would not only be lengthy in time but would also involve considerable expenses as cleaning one square meter would cost between $4 and $8. Clearing all of Ukraine's mines would cost $37.4 billion.

Ukraine is a signatory to the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty and claimed it destroyed much of its Soviet stock by 2020. But in 2021 -- the year before the war erupted -- Kiev reported to the UN that over 3.3 million PFM mines contained in artillery rockets were yet to be destroyed.

In January, Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused Ukraine of using banned anti-personnel landmines against Russian forces, saying almost 50 civilians, including five children, had been wounded.

Distributed by rockets across a target area, the tiny PFM mines are also known as "butterfly" or "petal" mines for their distinctive shape.

"Ukrainian forces appear to have extensively scattered landmines" around the Izyum area in the northeast, HRW arms expert Steve Goose said.

Last month, HRW announced that it had found further proof of Ukrainian forces' indiscriminate deployment of illegal anti-personnel landmines against Russians in 2022.

The organization urged the Ukrainian government to uphold a pledge it made earlier this month not to deploy such weapons, to look into any reports of their possible use, and hold those responsible accountable.

"The Ukrainian government’s pledge to investigate its military’s apparent use of banned anti-personnel mines is an important recognition of its duty to protect civilians," Goose said in a statement.

Yesterday, National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby said in a briefing that Ukraine began using cluster bombs supplied by the United States in its targeting of Russian forces at the front lines "in the last week or so."

The US announced earlier this month that it will provide Kiev with cluster munitions to "assist" Ukrainian forces on the battlefield as the counteroffensive failed so far to reach expectations.

Washington's decision has been widely criticized by human rights activists, some US lawmakers, and even former top officials in the United States Army, Pentagon, and NATO.

"They're using them appropriately, they're using them effectively and they are actually having an impact on Russia’s defensive formations and Russia’s defensive maneuvering," Kirby claimed.

Cluster munitions, which disperse up to hundreds of small explosive charges, are banned by over 100 countries, including European signatories to the 2008 Oslo Convention and NATO members that are fully engaged in the conflict.