In January, demining operators completed the clearance of 5 areas within the state programme for compensating land demining for agricultural purposes. The total area returned to use by farmers was nearly 640 hectares, with the cost of demining, compensated by the state, amounting to 20.6 million UAH.
"January marked a significant milestone for the demining market. For the first time since the launch of the state compensation programme, private operators fully completed the clearance of areas under five agreements. As a result, farmers regained nearly 640 hectares of land. Demining continues under other signed contracts. This year, we will continue the programme and hope to attract donor funding to clear even more agricultural land," said First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy of Ukraine, Yulia Svyrydenko.
In addition, in January, demining work began on 16 previously signed agreements to clear land from mines and unexploded ordnance. The total area of these lands is over 1,300 hectares, with the cost of demining exceeding 85.1 million UAH.
In the first month of the year, the government transferred 94.7 million UAH to farmers’ escrow accounts within the programme. The total area of land to be cleared with this funding is 1,546.3 hectares. Since the programme's start, the government has transferred almost 530 million UAH in compensation to farmers for demining services provided by operators.
During January, farmers submitted 34 new applications for participation in the programme.
As of February 1, the Humanitarian Demining Center has signed 50 contracts with operators to carry out work on a total area of over 9,300 hectares. The value of these contracts exceeds 536.5 million UAH.
Yulia Svyrydenko emphasized that the government continues to strengthen demining capabilities. Since the beginning of the year, the number of certified operators has increased to 82. Work is underway to automate certification processes, which will further speed up the issuance of certificates and contribute to an increase in the number of operators in the market.
Additionally, joint efforts with international partners are underway to enhance the provision of equipment and machinery for demining. Currently, Ukraine has over 200 mechanical demining machines, and the production of foreign equipment models is localized in the country.
