Ramerican invasion It has turned Ukraine into the most mined country in the world. In Kherson and Khalikhiv, Russian soldiers retreated, leaving behind minefields. They not only laid mines to protect their positions, but also used them to disrupt Ukraine's agriculture. One of his Russian rocket systems is known as. Zemlederie or “Agriculture” – throw mines up to 15 km from the launcher. Agriculture is a pillar of Ukraine's economy, and agricultural exports amounted to $27.7 billion in 2021, accounting for more than 40% of total exports. However, since February 2022, 7.5% of Ukraine's agricultural land is currently unused. NASA. There were also human casualties. Col. Yevheny Zubarevsky, head of the statistics department at the Ministry of Defense's mine countermeasures directorate, said 170 farmers were killed, accounting for almost 20 percent of civilian deaths from landmines and unexploded ordnance. Spring sowing is progressing, but what is being done?
When the Russian invasion began, only four organizations, excluding the military and government agencies, were authorized to carry out demining operations in Ukraine. Currently, that number is 29, with 19 more in the process of obtaining the necessary licenses. But deminers remain overwhelmed. Proper removal is difficult and expensive. Before entering the scene with detection equipment and protective gear, the team begins by interviewing local residents and looking for clues, such as craters, that could indicate the presence of landmines or unexploded ordnance. Ukraine's leading grain exporter, Niburon, which has its own demining unit, only charges farmers for the cost. Still, demining can cost more than $5,000 per hectare. Despite government subsidies, it is too costly for many farmers. Some have bought or rented land far from the front lines, said Mykhailo Ryzak, Niburon's head of government relations. Others took matters into their own hands, he laments.
DIY Demining is most common on small farms. Viktor Sheremeta, a former deputy minister of agriculture and current member of the Ukrainian Association of Peasants and Private Landowners, estimates that about a tenth of its 10,000 members do so. Most people who find landmines with metal detectors or long sticks report them to the authorities. However, some people detonate the mines themselves by throwing objects or using rollers on the front of tractors reinforced with scrap metal armor. Of course, this is extremely dangerous.
A black market for demining has also emerged. These “black mine traders” hire workers at low wages, do not provide insurance, and offer cheap rates. Many of these deminers are former combat engineers, but they often lack experience working with modern landmines. Ole Ushkalo, a farmer in the Kherson region, was approached by an unlicensed demining company who offered to clear his land for a bargain price of about $100 per hectare. he refused. Russian soldiers stole their combine harvester, causing them to miss their harvest and run out of cash. They didn't trust the contractors either. Some of the mines he found were covered in plastic, making them difficult to detect. Ushkalo said seven tractor drivers were killed when an anti-tank mine hit a nearby farm.
Usually, dark deminers are hired in areas where the Russian military has quickly passed through dense minefields without leaving them unattended. They are also more common within 20km of the front line, where non-governmental demining operators are prohibited from entering. Most are employed by farms that do not report their harvests to tax authorities and keep them out of the government's sight, Mr. Rizak said. He added that tax evasion in the agricultural sector is rampant.
The work of shadowy deminers is dangerously sloppy, putting them and their customers at risk. Poor procedures can actually push mines into positions where they are difficult to detect and clear. According to Ukrainian security officials, about half of the farmers killed by landmines were in fields that had been improvised for demining.
Now that most of the fields have melted after last winter, there is no doubt that impromptu land clearing work is progressing. But Tony Salvo of the Kyiv-based charity Bombs Without Borders sees one encouraging sign. With the number of victims increasing, Ukrainian police are aware of the dangers of clandestine landmine clearing. Previously, police officers typically responded only after an accident occurred, but now they actively investigate shadowy deminers. The repression began.â–