a day with Ukrainian deminers in Kharkiv

“Russian forces have loosened their presence in Kharkiv, the country’s second city, but that does not mean that they have abandoned the ground, far from it”recalls Stéphanie Pérez. “We could feel this Russian presence while accompanying a team of deminers. We went with them into the gray zone, villages caught between each side”, explains the journalist. North of Kharkiv, on a deserted road strewn with charred carcasses, a team of deminers will explore an area barely liberated from Russian forces, while fighting continues in the surrounding area. The area is full of explosive devices.

In one neighborhood, a resident reported the presence of a shell in his driveway. “It didn’t explode, but it still has its full charge and it’s very dangerous. We’re going to take it to our base to neutralize it.”, explains a deminer. They are overwhelmed with calls from worried residents. According to the authorities, nearly half of the Ukrainian territory is contaminated by explosive devices. It will take at least 50 years to clear everything.