More than 130 explosive ordnance disposal teams are clearing mines in the de-occupied Kherson region, said Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, in a TV broadcast.
“Currently, almost 70% of the right bank of Kherson region—over 473,000 hectares—has been cleared of mines. About 250,000 explosive devices have been found and neutralized. Most of this area is farmland, which has allowed an increase in sowing this year,” Prokudin said.
He added that over 130 explosive ordnance disposal teams—nearly 700 specialists—are involved in demining. These include sapper units from the State Emergency Service (DSNS), Armed Forces of Ukraine, State Service for Special Transport (DSST), National Guard, and National Police, as well as demining operators.
According to the administration’s press service, demining operators working in Kherson include HALO Trust, Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), the Humanitarian Demining Center, and FSD.
Currently, 29 mechanical demining machines, two underwater demining teams, and three canine teams are involved in the region’s clearance operations.
The administration reports that about 435,000 hectares of fields—85% of the total area—have been surveyed by explosive ordnance disposal teams.
Prokudin emphasized that if the security situation were normal and there was no 20–30 km zone with ongoing active combat, it would be possible to clear nearly 100% of the de-occupied territory this year. However, currently, it is impractical to clear those areas because they remain under constant attack.
