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Russia’s war made Ukraine the most heavily mined country in the world. See how specialists work to clear battlefields of unexploded ordnance.

Source: Meduza

After Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine became the most heavily mined country in the world. “In Ukraine, because of the nature and the intensity of the conflict, we’re often seeing double or triple or even quadruple amputees, and a lot of those injured are in their 20s and 30s,” said Paul Heslop, a landmine clearance specialist and program manager at UNDP Ukraine. Mines left on battlefields pose a serious threat to civilians, he stressed. While teams of Ukrainian specialists are working tirelessly on demining, clearing the country of mines and unexploded ordnance, including cluster munitions, will take many years and significant resources. Meduza shares photos offering a glimpse into the daily efforts to rid Ukrainian land of deadly explosives.

Forests where soldiers take cover, like those near Sviatohirsk, have become the targets of heavy shelling and the sites of intense battles, leaving behind unexploded shells and mines. Sviatohirsk, Donetsk region. September 27, 2024.
Pierre Crom / Getty Images
Destroyed military equipment in a forest near Sviatohirsk, which Russian forces occupied in March 2022 and the Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated in September of the same year. Ukrainian Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialists are still working to clear the battle sites around Sviatohirsk. September 27, 2024.
Pierre Crom / Getty Images
Ukrainian EOD specialists search the forest for mines and unexploded ordnance. September 27, 2024.
Pierre Crom / Getty Images

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The area around Sviatohirsk, where fighting took place. September 27, 2024.
Pierre Crom / Getty Images
A Ukrainian EOD specialist near Sviatohirsk. September 27, 2024.
Pierre Crom / Getty Images
Ukrainian specialists use GCS-200 demining equipment to help clear fields of mines and shells. Machines like these have been provided to Ukraine by Western allies. The GCS-200 vehicles were part of a U.S. aid package delivered to Ukraine in June.
Pierre Crom / Getty Images
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