The International Coordination Center for Humanitarian Demining has started operating at the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine. It aims to minimize the risks of explosives on people. The functions of the Secretariat are entrusted to the State Emergency Service.
According to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Denis Monastyrsky, it will take years to demine Ukrainian territories after the occupation of Russia. As for the timing, he said that the international norm - one day of active hostilities takes up to 30 days of demining.
Since the beginning of the war, rescuers of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine have neutralized 90,432 munitions and more than 583 kg of explosives, including 1,964 air bombs. Currently, an area of ​​16,370 hectares has been surveyed and cleared.
"As the occupied territories are liberated, we will begin large-scale demining. And this is an incredible amount of tasks. To do this, we need the international help of our friends and partners. And specialists, technology, finance, and the latest approaches using modern information technology," said Denis Monastyrsky.
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Mary Hakobyan, an expert on international relations and cooperation at the European level, has been appointed head of the newly established Center.
The symbol of the Center is well-known in Ukraine dog-pyrotechnician named Patron (Cartridge) from the rescue team of the SES. He has helped to find and demine more than two hundred explosives.
