The UN Protection Cluster noted the need to strengthen the national mine action coordination mechanism

The risks posed by explosive munitions today were discussed at the regular meeting of the UN Protection Cluster, in which SGS is a member.

According to the monitoring data of the Cluster team, 23% of the territory of Ukraine (138,503 km2 of land, 14,000 km2 of water) remained contaminated with explosive shells, putting 5.44 million people at risk. Since February 2022, 1,581 civilian casualties have been recorded (457 dead, 1,124 wounded).

International experts noted that contamination by explosive munitions seriously affects Ukrainians' livelihoods, food security and recovery. Agricultural lands remain heavily mined, which sometimes provokes farmers to dangerous practices of "self-demining".

An increase in the presence of short-range drones and their use to target civilians was also noted. The anti-personnel mines that they scatter also hinder repairs and pose a danger to emergency workers. Additionally, 84% of IDPs cited mine contamination as their top safety concern during evacuation or while in occupied territories.

SGS noted that mine action operators today work in conditions of constant adaptation to threats, including unmanned aerial vehicles and acts of terrorism. However, both the SGS team and other participants in the humanitarian demining market are doing everything possible to accelerate the clearance of areas from explosive substances and to increase the awareness of the population about mine safety.