Ukraine has become the most mined country in the world: details from the UN.

According to FREEДOM:

Mine situation in Ukraine

In Ukraine, there are over a million mines, and their demining could take more than a decade. This information was provided by Paul Heslop, head of the UN Mine Action Program in Ukraine, in an interview with The Guardian.

Demining challenges

According to Heslop, Russian forces continue to leave mine traps in several regions during their retreat. This applies to both anti-tank and anti-personnel mines.

'Moreover, there are still a lot of unexploded shells, rockets, grenades, and mortars left after the hostilities, especially in the buffer zone, where the range of artillery fire is about 32 km. During the clearance of territories, we face a level of complexity and scale that we have never encountered before,' quotes The Guardian Paul Heslop.

According to UN data, hazardous elements contaminated over 23% of Ukraine's territory — more than 139 thousand square kilometers. Thus, Ukraine has become the most mined country since World War II.

Potentially mined lands

It was previously reported that the area of potentially mined lands in Ukraine exceeds 135 thousand square kilometers.

This situation highlights the serious problems the country faces in the process of restoring infrastructure and security. Intensive demining remains a crucial task to ensure the safety of citizens and restore normal life in affected regions. The time for the disposal of mines and other explosive objects brings Ukraine closer to the possibility of recovering and developing territories where military operations are ongoing.