As a result of the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation, currently about 25% of Ukraine's territory is contaminated with mines and explosive objects. Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Ihor Klymenko, stated this in an interview with the news agency.
"The most densely mined regions are those that have been de-occupied. Stabilization measures there begin with demining," the Minister noted.
According to him, priority is given to clearing populated areas.
"The goal is to quickly return government bodies there, restore the operation of enterprises, the functioning of critical infrastructure objects, etc. Agricultural land is also a priority," emphasized the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
He noted that the longer the occupation of a settlement lasts, the more extensive the mining becomes.
Responding to a journalist's question about the priority of demining, Igor Klymenko said that this is a complex issue, especially in the frontline regions.
"Once we clear a certain settlement, deem it safe, and then it's shelled again. And that's it, we start over. So, there are many uncertainties now. Especially since we are still finding shells from the Second World War in the ground," he explained.
