Landmines in Ukraine

On 24 February 1999, Ukraine became a signatory of the Ottawa Treaty, which prohibits the use of all types of victim-activated explosive devices. Conversely, Russia and the United States are not signatories of this agreement.{{Cite web |date=2022-11-17 |title=Russian mines in Ukraine 'greatest challenge' to landmark ban treaty |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20221117-russian-mines-in-ukraine-greatest-challenge-to-landmark-ban-treaty |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=France24 |language=en}}

On 20 February 2014, Russia government forces invaded and annexed the Crimean peninsula, formally annexing the territory in March 2014. In April 2014, fighting broke out between Russian-backed separatist forces and Ukrainian government forces in eastern Ukraine.

On 24 February 2022, Russia initiated a currently-ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine, in which both anti-personnel and anti-vehicle landmines have been utilized.

As of January 2023, the State Emergency Service of Ukraine estimates that around 30% of Ukrainian territory may be contaminated by landmines.{{Cite web |title=Ukrainian bomb-sniffing dog teaches children mine safety |url=https://www.unicef.org/ukraine/en/stories/dog-teaches-children-mine-safety |access-date=2023-07-18 |publisher=UNICEF |language=en}} Other sources estimate this figure as high as 40%.{{Cite news |title=Ukraine Has Largest Minefield In The World, Prime Minister Says |language=en |work=Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-largest-minefield-shmyhal/32214163.html#:~:text=The%20mined%20area,%20according%20to,main%20industries,%22%20he%20said |access-date=2023-07-19}}

Russian forces have allegedly engaged in booby-trapping strategic positions from which they have retreated using landmines and other unexploded ordnance.{{Cite news |last=Wordsworth |first=Rich |title=Russia Has Turned Eastern Ukraine Into a Giant Minefield |language=en-US |work=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/story/russian-landmines-ukraine-psychological-warfare/ |access-date=2023-07-19 |issn=1059-1028}} There have been a significant amount of civilian casualties as a result. Ukrainian forces allegedly used a rocket-delivered anti-personnel mine in summer 2022, in violation of the Ottawa Treaty. Human Rights Watch traced back handwritten messages on unexploded ordnance to Ukrainian organizations which offered to inscribe "death wishes" on explosives to raise funds for the war effort.{{Cite news |last=Sampson |first=Eve |last2=Granados |first2=Samuel |date=2023-06-30 |title=Evidence mounts for use of banned mines by Ukrainian forces, rights group says |language=en-US |work=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/06/30/ukraine-illegal-mines-human-rights-watch/ |access-date=2023-09-28 |issn=0190-8286}}

From 2014 to 2020, there were 1,190 mine-related casualties in Ukraine.

According to the United Nations, from the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 to July 2023, 298 civilians, 22 of them children, have been killed due to unexploded ordnance, and there have been 632 civilian injuries. HALO Trust estimates that civilian casualties are vastly underreported.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-22 |title=Ukraine is now the most mined country. It will take decades to make safe |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/22/ukraine-is-now-most-mined-country-it-will-take-decades-make-safe/ |access-date=2023-09-28 |website=Washington Post |language=en}}

Ukraine is one of the world's top agricultural producers.{{Cite web |date=April 2022 |title=Ukraine Agricultural Production and Trade |url=https://www.fas.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-04/Ukraine-Factsheet-April2022.pdf |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=U.S. Department of Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service}} More than 55% of Ukraine's land is arable, and as of April 2022, provided employment for 14% of Ukraine's population. Due to the proliferation of mines and other unexploded ordnance in agricultural areas, Ukraine's agricultural sector has suffered more than $6.6 billion in damages.{{Cite news |last=Nickel |first=Rod |last2=Polityuk |first2=Pavel |date=2023-03-08 |title=Analysis: Facing minefields and cash crunch, Ukraine farmers to sow smaller crop |language=en |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/facing-minefields-cash-crunch-ukraine-farmers-sow-smaller-crop-2023-03-08/ |access-date=2023-07-18}}{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=Agricultural War Damages Review |url=https://kse.ua/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Damages_report_issue2-1.pdf |website=Kyiv School of Economics}} In some contaminated regions like Kherson, farmers have resorted to picking out unexploded shells by sight, and using armored and remote-operated tractors.{{Cite news |last=Hrabchuk |first=Kamila |last2=Galouchka |first2=Anastacia |last3=Martins |first3=Alice |date=May 28, 2023 |title=In fields seeded with mines, Ukraine's farmers face deadly planting season |work=The Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/28/ukraine-farms-unexploded-ordnance-mines/}} Ukrainian officials estimate that as of March 2023, up to one-third of all arable land (approximately 10 million hectares) in areas of hostility are mined.{{Cite web |last=Booth |first=Tom |last2=Wright |first2=Rebecca |last3=Watson |first3=Ivan |last4=Konovalova |first4=Olha |date=2023-03-27 |title=Clearing land mines by hand, farmers in Ukraine risk their lives for planting season |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/27/europe/farmers-land-mines-clearance-ukraine-russia-invasion-intl-hnk/index.html |access-date=2023-07-18 |website=CNN |language=en}}

As of July 2023, the World Bank estimates that fully demining affected Ukrainian territory will cost upwards of $37 billion.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-08 |title=Demining Ukraine: Bringing lifesaving expertise back home |url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/07/1138477 |access-date=2023-07-19 |website=UN News |language=en}}

One of the key issues hindering demining efforts is the lack of qualified bomb disposal specialists and operators.{{Cite web |date=2023-05-15 |title=Demining in Ukraine |url=https://www.agroberichtenbuitenland.nl/documenten/publicaties/2023/05/15/demining-in-ukraine |access-date=2023-07-19 |website=Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality |language=}} Training generally lasts four months, and company certification three months. Additionally, there are only two certification bodies in Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. Additionally, the training of such specialists can be cost prohibitive, with the approximate cost of training a group of explosive specialists being approximately $100,000–$150,000 as of May 2023.

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{{Land mines by region or country}}

{{2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine}}

Ukraine

Category:Military equipment of the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Category:War crimes during the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Category:War in Donbas