United to win: Lithuania introduces revised “Demining Coalition” plan to assist Ukraine in landmine removal efforts

The Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Lithuania, Arvydas Anušauskas, presented the updated concept of the "Demining Coalition" to the Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Yuriy Dzhyhyr, during his visit to Vilnius.

The Ministry of Defense reported this.

What is the problem?

Due to the Russian invasion and active hostilities, Ukraine is contaminated with explosive objects. Some analysts call the country the most mined in the world.

The area of the de-occupied territory contaminated by mines is now about 45,000 square kilometers. With the complete de-occupation of Ukraine's territory, it will increase by approximately 190,000 square kilometers.

What is the solution?

The updated concept of the "Demining Coalition" was presented in Vilnius by the Minister of National Defense of the Republic of Lithuania, Arvydas Anušauskas.

"Russia has planted mines and unexploded ordnance on our lands, which not only hinder a counterattack but also pose a threat to our future generations. The presence of these invisible killers continues to haunt countries even long after the wars have ended. Today, Lithuania is heading in a challenging direction in the fight against this insidious weapon. In particular, expanding the coalition's work to war zones confirms the readiness to quickly consider the most pressing problems and find ways to solve them," Yuriy Dzhyhyr emphasized.

How does it work?

The concept includes:

• elements of "humanitarian demining" of liberated occupied territories;
• "combat demining" on the line of contact with the enemy.

According to Arvydas Anušauskas, for the Lithuanian side, implementing this issue is the main priority in assisting Ukraine for 2024-2026. Currently, 22 countries intend to join the anti-mine coalition led by Lithuania.

For reference:

It should be noted that the Federal Council of Switzerland has approved an aid package of 100 million Swiss francs for demining civilian and agricultural areas in Ukraine and providing assistance in reconstructing the country.

In addition, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine and the American company Tetra Tech, Inc. agreed on cooperation in mine countermeasures. The relevant memorandum was signed by Deputy Minister Yaroslav Demchenkov and Tetra Tech, Inc. project manager Jeff Caldwell in the presence of Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko and Tetra Tech, Inc. Vice President Steve Priestley.

In Zaporizhzhia, engineers and students of the School of Robotics created a robot sapper to meet the needs of Ukraine's armed forces and emergency workers.