UNDP documentary ‘Land of Silence’ on humanitarian demining in Ukraine now available online

The film follows the stories of people working on the frontlines of mine action — deminers, researchers, and technical specialists — who deal with the daily realities of explosive hazards. Through their experiences, “Land of Silence” documents the scale of the contamination of Ukrainian land with explosives, along with the critical role of demining in Ukraine’s recovery efforts.

After more than four years of full-scale war, Ukraine is one of the most mine-affected countries in the world, with around 22 percent of its territory (133,300 square kilometres) potentially contaminated and requiring survey.

The documentary film project was initiated by UNDP in Ukraine and implemented with financial support from the Government of the Republic of Korea, in partnership with the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

Directed by Viktor Solodukha and Emil Bakhtiyev , the film tells the stories of:

• Pavlo Bondarenko, head of the mechanized demining unit of the State Emergency Service in Mykolaiv Oblast.
• Natalia Horun, non-technical survey specialist at Norwegian People’s Aid.
• Oleksandr Bonchkovskyi, Doctor of Philosophy in Geography and chief scientific consultant at the Society of Researchers of Ukraine.

“Land of Silence” has been screened at international and Ukrainian film festivals, including the Tokyo Short Film Festival 2025, where it was shortlisted and included in the official recommended programme. In Ukraine, it was presented in the non-competitive programme of the 54th Molodist International Film Festival in Kyiv. 

Watch the film here: 

https://sweet.tv/movie/37558-tixa-zemlia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCzOByfBvZg 

Background:

Today, 133,300 square kilometres of Ukraine’s territory affected by the war remain potentially hazardous. Some 21,000 square kilometres are currently accessible for demining. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 40,700 square kilometres have already been returned to safe use.

Media enquiries:

Yuliia Samus, Head of Communications and Advocacy, UNDP in Ukraine; yuliia.samus@undp.org