Russia Uses Mines in Ukraine War! Landmines have become the most feared issue in the ongoing war in Ukraine for more than a year and a half. It is now the most landmine-affected country in the world. In addition to unexploded bombs and artillery shells, an area roughly the size of Florida is now littered with mines in Ukraine. Since the start of the war, Ukraine has been dealing with dire situations. They will pose a long-term threat to the country and pose a special challenge for the country’s military to gain a strategic advantage against Russia.
Unprecedented Situation In 30 Years
Landmines are preventing or slowing Ukrainian counterattacks. Efforts are underway to remove unexploded land mines. However, the situation is not fully known as the conflict continues. According to information provided by the Ukrainian government and humanitarian aid organizations, the situation could last for many years. The head of the British NGO Mines Advisory Group, Great Cotter, called this situation of a large number of mines scattered in Ukraine unprecedented in the last 30 years. According to him, there is no such situation in any other part of the world.
Global theme tank GLOBSEC reports that more than 67,000 square miles of Ukraine, roughly one-third of the country, have been hit by heavy fighting. Thorough clearance operations will be required to make these areas habitable. The report says that as the war has spread over Ukraine’s agricultural lands, the terrain is now too difficult or unusable to use effectively. According to the report, Kharkip and Kherson have become the most dangerous areas of the liberated areas so far.
Mines Will Harm Ukraine’s Future Economic Activity
The demining challenge is no longer the same as it was before February 2022. Because the duration of the war has been too long. And a large number of explosive weapons have been deployed. Its amount is 10 times more in Kharkiv and Kherschhan.
Victim-activated devices i.e. mines are known to be laid in double and even triple ground traps in animals, dead bodies, road fields, and forests. The placement of such mines will harm Ukraine’s future economic activity. Because landmines have been planted in agricultural areas and even on agricultural land. Removing these mines is complex and expensive. This may take a long time to do. The initiative is being taken in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, and in the western part of the country.
757 Years To Remove Mines
However, according to experts, the extent of Ukraine’s mined area is so large that it could take up to 757 years for around 500 demining teams to complete the task. The World Bank estimates that the cost of this work could exceed $37 billion by 2033.
Deminers tasked with removing mines are also at risk. Even these highly trained men are not safe from the damage of those unexploded mines and booby traits. A deminer lost his leg while on duty in the town of Kranat in the Donbas region last year and had to undergo an artificial sin to learn to walk again.