United to win: US and Canada donate $5.8 mln in demining machines and equipment to Ukraine
Photo: Ministry of Economy of Ukraine
Tetra Tech, an American company responsible for executing one of the international technical assistance projects in Ukraine, provided the State Special Transport Service (SSTS) with four GCS-100 demining machines, tractors, excavators JCB, and staff vans. The Governments of the United States and Canada are financing the project.
The Ministry of Economy of Ukraine reported that.
The total cost of the purchased equipment amounted to more than $5.8 million.
According to Oleksiy Sobolev, the First Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine, humanitarian demining is crucial for the country's recovery. Reconstruction can only be considered once the land has been cleared of mines and other explosive objects, allowing people to walk on it safely.
"That is why humanitarian demining is one of the priorities of the Government's Action Plan and a key point of the Mine Action Strategy of Ukraine. We face a huge challenge, and increasing our capabilities in demining, including thanks to the help of our partners, will make it possible to clear our lands faster. We welcome that the partners purchased part of the equipment from Ukrainian manufacturers because it is already helping the Ukrainian economy to develop," Sobolev said.
In addition to machinery and equipment, Tetra Tech is also handing over to the State Special Transport Service a set of personal protective equipment for sappers who will work with demining machines. SSTS specialists working with demining machines have received training at the Tetra Tech school, which operates in Ukraine.
Some of the equipment that the partners bought was manufactured in Ukraine. Specifically, it includes:
- protective gear,
- carriages for moving demining machines,
- and excavator armor.
This is part of the efforts of the Ministry of Economy within the framework of the "Made in Ukraine" initiative.
"Today, we are handing over nearly $6 million worth of equipment, which will help the State Special Transport Service clear the territory even faster. In general, the United States has already provided aid to Ukraine in the field of humanitarian demining in the amount of 180 million dollars, and this is the largest aid that the United States has provided to other countries for mine action," Ms. Bridget Brink, the US Ambassador to Ukraine, said.
The United States is a crucial ally to Ukraine in the area of mine action. Since the start of the extensive invasion, the US has provided over $210 million for anti-mine initiatives, encompassing both completed and upcoming projects. Most of these funds are devoted to bolstering Ukraine's capabilities in countering landmines.
"The Tetra Tech company not only helps Ukraine with technology but also actively trains our specialists. To date, at least six hundred specialists who have received international certificates have been trained in the eighth educational center. Therefore, well-educated, prepared specialists will work on the equipment handed over to us by our partners, which will only speed up the demining of our lands," Deputy Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Yuriy Dzhyhyr, said.
It should be noted that the issue of humanitarian demining is coordinated by the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine – the Minister of Economy of Ukraine, Yuliia Svyrydenko. The Ministry of Economy of Ukraine ensures the interaction of the central executive authorities on issues of mine action in humanitarian demining.
For reference:
GCS-100 is a light demining machine that can be operated remotely. It effectively clears anti-personnel mines even in difficult-to-reach areas. The machine has three attachments: a cultivator for preparing soil up to 20 cm deep, a hammer for demining, and a manipulator boom for removing unexploded cluster shells and rockets. It can clear up to 5,000 square meters of land per day.
As of July 16, the State Special Transport Service surveyed more than 115,000 hectares of territory and destroyed more than 178,000 explosive objects.
