In the Makariv territorial community of the Kyiv region, a sapper unit has started humanitarian demining operations. Experts are working on the initial phase, which involves non-technical surveying of suspected hazardous areas. Prior to the start of operations, volunteers from the Slots City Foundation provided the demining team with vehicles, UAVs, equipment, and gear, as well as the capability to repair the machinery.
The unlocking of contaminated or potentially contaminated areas begins with primary non-technical surveying. A group of sappers operates on designated areas using specialized gear and metal detectors. The task of the experts is to determine the boundaries of hazardous areas, the type of mines and explosive remnants of war, their depth, soil composition, and vegetation, and to mark them as a warning to the population about the danger.
“It is necessary to conduct a complete demining operation to prevent casualties among the local population from explosive hazards on these territories,” says Vyacheslav Kovalchuk, the commander of the reconnaissance and demining group. His team plans to demine all designated forest strips on the northern and southern outskirts of Makariv by the end of the year.
Demining is taking place in areas where positions of occupiers have previously been located. A rocket from the “Hurricane” launcher with a cassette warhead was the first discovery made by the sappers.
The land here is filled with explosive devices of various sizes, including tripwires, which require caution not only from residents but also from professional deminers. “In forested areas, there is the possibility of setting up a tripwire attached to a grenade or other explosive device at any location, and detecting it is extremely difficult. Especially now, as everything begins to turn green, detection will be more challenging,” shares the group commander.
Non-technical surveying is the first and necessary stage for further demining – technical surveying and complete clearance of the area from the traces of combat operations.
“For our foundation, assistance to deminers is a new but already systematic monthly focus of work,” says Artem Stohniy, Director of the Slots City Foundation. The Foundation’s volunteers not only provide equipment and gear but also contribute donations to support hazardous operations.
The demining group working in Makarov has already surveyed 52 hectares of land, mostly forests and field roads. In total, deminers have 300 hectares of territory in Kyiv region to work on.
Overall, approximately one-third of Ukraine’s territory is mined, according to UN experts’ estimates, amounting to 174,000 square kilometers of land.
Artem Stohnii is a professional manager with extensive experience in both the public sector and private business.
Oleg KONONCHUK is an experienced manager, specialising in the implementation of innovative projects in the field of IT, e-commerce, telecommunications.
He has been in IT since he was 16 and has occupied top positions in many high-tech projects.
Major competence of Stanislav Andreev is marketing and everything related to it, primarily digital marketing.
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