On the border with Belarus, mine clearers are combing the area “centimeter by centimeter”

A third of Ukraine could be affected by Russian mines, according to the UN. This is particularly the case in the Chernihiv region, in the north of the country, near the border with Belarus and Russia.

Nearly two and a half years after the Russian invasion, Ukraine is one of the most mine-strewn countries in the world. According to the UN, a third of its territory could be affected, for example in the Chernihiv region, near the border with Belarus and Russia.

The mine clearance unit led by Yevhen operates on a vast expanse of land. “The deminers advance centimeter by centimeter, they work whatever the season, in all weathers, rain or shine. It’s hard for them,” he breathes.

A meticulous work in an agricultural area, at the entrance to the city of Chernihiv, the scene of violent fighting for more than a month. The objective is to return the land to the inhabitants as quickly as possible. “The whole area beyond this line is potentially dangerous. There have been accidents here, like a farmer who ran over an explosive device with his tractor. He was injured, but he is alive,” he says.

Clearing the area of ​​explosives is a priority because of the presence of a small village of prefabricated buildings a few hundred metres away. These temporary facilities are home to 159 displaced people, including Valentina. “We don’t go too far because we are afraid. Nobody knows exactly where the danger is, because here there were Russians everywhere with their tanks. They mined the area,” notes this Ukrainian woman.

The war did not end with the withdrawal of the Russian army, says Volodymyr, one of the locals, bitterly: “The Russian occupation forces withdrew, but left us with a lot of poisoned gifts.” While it is impossible to quantify the number of explosive devices that need to be neutralized, one thing is certain: it will take the Ukrainians years to remove them all.