Ukraine’s hidden dangers: why clearing mines and explosives is fist step for safety

Paul Heslop, a representative of the United Nations Mine Action Service and Special Adviser to the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, joined yesterday’s noon briefing at UN Headquarters to raise awareness of mine action in Ukraine and call for further investment in scaling up operations and new technologies.

Contamination on an unprecedented scale

“Mines and unexploded ordnance are stopping fields from being planted, critical infrastructure from being rebuilt,” said Paul Heslop, showing models of artillery shells, grenades, and landmines that contaminate Ukraine’s cities, soil, and skies every single day.

“We're talking about around 6 million of these as unexploded ordnance. We are looking at a level of contamination that has not been seen in Europe since the end of the Second World War,” he explains.

The war today will leave a legacy that, until it is removed, will stop those countries’ recovery and will have a long-term effect on the global economy. In Ukraine, the economic consequences are already severe. The presence of landmines and unexploded ordnance is costing the country $11 billion a year, reducing growth by between 3 and 5 percent of GDP.

Innovation and the path forward

In Ukraine, new approaches are already making a difference. Using satellite imagery, drone imagery with AI, and data analytics, more than 30,000 square kilometers of land have been assessed and safely returned. 

“We need to invest in new technologies, new methodologies, and improving human capital,” Paul Heslop emphasized.

Mine clearance is slow and complex, but essential. Without it, recovery cannot begin. With it, communities can return, economies can restart, and countries can rebuild. The lesson from Ukraine is clear. 

“Prolonged investment in mine action is an investment in peace. It’s an investment in recovery. It’s an investment in moving things forward.”

Until the mines are cleared, people cannot be truly safe.

A full briefing is available here.