Media: 10-15 years needed to clear Donbas of mines
Ukraine will need 10-15 years to clean the territory of the Luhansk and Donetsk provinces of mines, as reported by Zerkalo Nedeli with reference to estimates made by experts from international organizations, as well as domestic ministries and departments, who discussed this matter on November 9 at the round table in Sievierodonetsk.
“According to the Defense Ministry’s information, today roughly seven thousand square kilometers of the Ukrainian-controlled territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk provinces are littered with mines and explosive devices… Not all of these areas have been mined, but they are potentially dangerous,” the publication states.
Demining the territory will be 100 times more expensive than mining it.
“If the production cost of a mine fluctuates between 3 and 30 dollars, neutralizing it costs 300-1000 dollars. For example, in the demining program between 2009 and 2019, Croatia will have used 550 million euros, including funds from international donors,” the article states.
In experts’ opinions, Ukraine should also look for material support. Willingness to help in this regard has already been expressed by NATO, the EU, the OSCE, the UN, the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining, and several countries.
For example, several days ago Germany allocated 200,000 euros to the demining of Balakliia.
Since the start of the Ukrainian military operation in the Donbas, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have dismantled more than 17,000 explosive devices. According to the report, they have cleared roughly 25 hectares of agricultural land, 70 hectares of water area, 1,152 km of motorway, and 712 km of railway.