‘Every day there’s new contamination’: Mine clearing in Ukraine

More than 130,000 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory are believed to have been contaminated by landmines and unexploded ordnance since the full-scale Russian invasion of the country in 2022.As the Government, with the support of the United Nations, attempts to clear the land, fresh mines continue to be laid in the shifting frontline regions.Ahead of the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, which is marked on 4 April, UN News’s Nargiz Shekinskaya spoke to Ben Lark, Ukraine Mine Action Program Manager at the UN Development Programme.He told her that the UN is focusing on training Ukrainian mine clearers, improving Government coordination and taking advantage of the latest AI-based technology to make the task more effective.