This year, the Ukrainian Deminers Association (UDA) continues to fulfill one of its key missions – clearing Ukrainian land of explosive ordnance (EO), ensuring the safety of citizens and contributing to the restoration of the affected areas.
The main achievements of the UDA in the field of humanitarian demining
- Expanding geography
UDA is actively working in the most dangerous regions of Ukraine, including fields, forests, roads and settlements in Donetsk, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Kyiv regions. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, the organization provided support to more than 32,000 people directly involved in humanitarian demining, Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) and Mine Victim Assistance (MVA).
- Innovative technologies
Together with the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute by Igor Sikorsky, UDA is developing and testing the latest mine detection technologies, including drones and robotic platforms, and plans to create a data center for the rapid identification of safe zones.
International cooperation
The strategic partnership of the Ukrainian Deminers Association with the international organization MAG (Mines Advisory Group) deserves special attention.
- Our cooperation has been going on since May 2022, when the first joint project was launched. In 2025, two large-scale projects are already being implemented.
- Our goal is to clear territories of EO, conduct EORE, and develop the institutional capacity of the UDA as a national mine action operator.
- Together with MAG, a number of monitoring visits were carried out in 2025, in particular to sattlements in Mykolaiv region, where the quality of each stage of clearance is carefully checked. We thoroughly check each stage of demining to ensure the safety of local residents and further use of the land. We are sincerely grateful to our partners for their support and continue to cooperate for a safe future.
Training of qualified specialists
Successful humanitarian demining is impossible without highly qualified specialists. That’s why, in 2025, the UDA will continue to train its deminers at the MAT Kosovo – EOD & ERW Training Establishment, in accordance with international IMAS standards.
In March and May of this year, UDA deminers are taking IMAS EOD courses at levels 1, 2, 3 and 3+, which include both theoretical training and practical work at training grounds, including spotting EO, centering signals with metal detectors and their safe retrieval. All course participants take exams in UXO detection, pass centering tests and demonstrate their skills on real-life tasks.
The program also has institutional support for women in Mine Action: UDA is implementing a leadership program for women, and as part of this initiative, more and more UDA employees are receiving certified education according to international standards.
Read an interview with Rita Mazankova, head of the Humanitarian Demining department at UDA, for WoMo.ua:
about the role of women in demining in Ukraine and her own career.
Thanks to the support of partners, including Global Affairs Canada, Ukraine is getting not just deminers, but leaders capable of making decisions in critical conditions.
Challenges and ways to overcome them
- Funding cuts
In 2025, the UDA faced the suspension of external assistance from the United States, which affected the ability to retain highly qualified personnel and continue work in full.
We have been actively working and continue to struggle to attract alternative funding to retain staff and prevent demining from stopping.
You can learn more about this in an interview with UDA Chairman of the Board Tymur Pistriuha to national media.
- Alternative sources
UDA appealed to the Ministry of Economy, international partners and the public to ensure sustainability of support. In particular, thanks to MAG and the governments of Canada and Korea, the financial deficit was partially compensated.
Future plans for the organization
By the end of the year and beyond, the UDA plans to:
- expand the geography of humanitarian demining operations;
- engage even more women in Mine Action;
- implement modern training programs;
- increase its impact through partnerships with MAG, other foreign organizations and government authorities.
Humanitarian demining is not just a technical operation, it is the key to rebuilding the country, returning people home, returning agricultural land to its owners and launching the economy. And as the experience of the UDA in 2025 shows, even in the most difficult conditions, it is possible if you act together.
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