Humanitarian demining: UAV pilots and changes in the organization of tenders will help
19 March 11:21
Ukraine is officially introducing a new category of drone operators – external pilots of unmanned aerial vehicles who will perform aerial reconnaissance and explosive ordnance detection tasks. This was reported by the Ministry of Defense, according to
The relevant standard was approved by the National Standardization Body of Ukraine.
The document, in particular, introduces requirements for the use of mechanized demining equipment (MRE) during the clearance of territories from explosive objects. It will come into force on May 1, 2025.
In addition, due to the implementation of this standard:
– regulates the use of various types of mechanized demining equipment, from soil treatment equipment to equipment for detecting and disposing of explosive ordnance;
– sets requirements for MRE operators, their training and certification;
– safety measures are regulated during the operation of equipment, including remote and autonomous control;
– harmonizing the national regulatory framework with international IMAS (International Mine Action Standards) standards.
The mechanized demining equipment will be tested at a special training ground yet to be created.
Humanitarian Demining Center changes approach to agricultural land clearance
According to the Ministry of Economy, the Center for Humanitarian Demining will divide large plots into 200-hectare parts to attract more operators and speed up the return of land to use.
This decision was made based on the experience of the state program of compensation for the cost of demining agricultural land. As it turned out, auctioning large plots is not the best solution, as only a limited number of operators can participate in such an auction, and they must be able to perform such work.
In addition, funds for demining are transferred only after the site is cleared, which, depending on the area, can take six months or more. All this time, the operator has to pay the cost of the work out of his own pocket.
Therefore, if a farmer submits an application for the clearance of, for example, one thousand hectares, the Center for Humanitarian Demining will announce five purchases of 200 hectares each in the Prozorro system.
It is also reported that the Center for Humanitarian Demining has simplified participation in auctions for operators who do not yet have the proper experience. They can compete for the right to demine areas of up to 50 hectares.
What is the pace of demining in Ukraine?
According to the Center for Mine Action, right now, experts are checking 14 sites that have been demined by operators. And if the assessment is positive, more than 3,500 hectares of land will be returned to use over the next few months.
But the scale of mined areas in Ukraine is, of course, much larger. As of the beginning of 2024, 156,000 square kilometers of Ukraine’s territory were potentially contaminated with explosive devices due to Russian aggression. As reported in January this year by the Ministry of Defense, thanks to the joint work of mine action operators and demining units of the Security and Defense Forces, in 2024 the mined area decreased by 17,000 square kilometers and now amounts to 139,000 square kilometers.
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, with the assistance of the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining, has developed an interactive map of areas contaminated with mines and explosive hazards.
Last year, 27 certified mine action operators carried out humanitarian demining. This includes more than 2,000 people, 27 mechanized demining vehicles and 6 mine-sniffing dog teams.
In 2024, the humanitarian demining market began to take shape in Ukraine. It is reported that the cost of demining 1 hectare is now between 40 and 70 thousand UAH. The number of demining operators is increasing, but there are still not enough of them given the volume of work.
The World Bank estimates that the cost of complete demining of the territory contaminated with explosive ordnance in Ukraine could reach $34.6 billion.
How the process of demining agricultural land is organized
Since September 2024, Ukraine has had a State Compensation Program for the Demining of Agricultural Land, which helps farmers return their land to work.
In September, the Cabinet of Ministers increased the amount of compensation for agricultural producers planning to demine agricultural land from 80% to 100%. Bidding for the procurement of agricultural land demining services must take place exclusively at auctions in the Prozorro system with the participation of at least two bidders.
The compensation program is open to farmers whose land is located in the de-occupied territories, where contamination or possible contamination with explosive ordnance has been confirmed after a non-technical survey.
The Humanitarian Demining Center verifies the applications submitted by farmers through the State Agrarian Register. It also announces auctions for demining services in the Prozorro system, and after determining the winning operator and the final cost of demining, transfers 100% of the amount to a special account opened by the farmer in one of the state-owned banks participating in the program.
The mine action operator receives the entire reserved amount upon completion of demining and confirmation of the work performed by the Humanitarian Demining Center.
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