Sappers have already demined 211,000 hectares of Mykolaiv Oblast

Demining of the Mykolaiv Oblast, photo: DSNS

As of April 2024, sappers have surveyed and demined 211,000 hectares of the territory of the Mykolaiv region. These are residential buildings, objects of critical infrastructure and agricultural land.

This was reported by the first deputy head of Mykolayiv RMA, Heorhii Reshetilov, in a comment to NikVesti.

«After the de-occupation of the main part of the territory of the Mykolaiv region, approximately 700,000 hectares of land, which are probably contaminated with explosive objects, were identified. Of them, we understand that part is still under occupation, and part is in a state of active hostilities — these are the Ochakiv and Kutsurub territorial communities. As for other territories, 211,000 hectares have been surveyed and demined,» said Heorhii Reshetilov.

At the same time, he added that it is currently difficult to say how long it will take to clear the area.

«It is impossible to say more or less approximate numbers. It depends on the number of units involved: forces, means, number of demining machines. This week, the pyrotechnic division of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is contacting us and they are moving to other directions, to other regions. We still have part of the territory under occupation. We can only guess what damage from the explosive objects we will see there after we liberate the Kinburn spit and three more settlements that are occupied in the territory of the Mykolaiv region,» said Heorhii Reshetilov.

How is the demining of the Mykolaiv Oblast going on?

Ukraine recently updated the country's priority demining plan. According to it, more than 512,000 hectares of agricultural land are subject to priority demining, of which 44,000 hectares are in Mykolaiv Oblast.

As of December 2023, 30% of the territory of the Mykolaiv region has been mined. In total, it is 754 thousand hectares of land.

At the same time, they are working on demining in the region. For example, as of October 2023, 13 thousand 40 hectares, including 9 thousand 25 hectares of agricultural land, have been demined in the Mykolaiv region.

Dmytro Komarov, the author of the «World Inside Out.Ukraine» project, visited the mined territories of the Mykolaiv region and showed the work of local sappers. NikVesti also told about a farmer from Kyselivka, who is trying to demine his fields on his own.

About 30,000-35,000 hectares of land remain mined in the Bashtan district of the Mykolaiv region, part of which was under occupation. And in the village of Maksymivka of Pervomaisk community of Mykolaiv region, locals live with an unexploded shell under the foundation of the house.

In general, the demining situation in Maksymivka is currently critical. A year after liberation from the Russian occupiers, the village was demined by only 40%.

Read also the article NikVesti «Decades are needed: How the demining process of the Mykolaiv region continues.»

It is known that the company «Demining of Ukraine» has developed a plant capable of demining the Mykolaiv region for three months.