Source: electronic media resource “DEV.UA”
Mine action in Ukraine has changed dramatically since February 24, 2022. Previously, it was metal detectors and manual demining, today it is drones, robotic systems and artificial intelligence. This article is about innovations that are changing approaches to humanitarian demining and the challenges Ukrainian deminers face every day.
Ukraine is the most heavily mined country in the world. More than 137,000 square kilometers of territory have the status of potentially dangerous. This is not only a direct threat to the lives of millions of people, but also a brake on the economy: mined fields prevent farmers from working and infrastructure cannot be restored.
The full-scale war has brought new challenges and threats, but it has also become a catalyst for rapid change. Today, Ukraine is among the leaders in terms of the pace of innovation in this area. In this column, we will discuss how the approach to humanitarian demining is changing, what technologies are already working in the field, and what challenges Ukrainian deminers face on a daily basis.
2018–2022: systemic launch and first challenges
Systematic mine action in Ukraine started at the end of 2018, after the adoption of the Law on Mine Action. The following year, the National Mine Action Standard DSTU 8820:2018 was approved, which for the first time established clear rules: who can carry out humanitarian demining, how it should be done, and what safety measures must be followed.
Until 2022, most of the work was done manually. Deminers worked with metal detectors, without modern equipment and automated solutions. Almost all the equipment had to be imported, and there was no Ukrainian production. Foreign suppliers were reluctant to sell small quantities. For example, to purchase protective equipment from Zimbabwe, my official correspondence with the supplier included 96 letters in just one exchange.
2022: full-scale war
At the time of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine had no drones, mine-sniffing dogs, or robotic systems for humanitarian demining.
After the de-occupation of Kyiv, Chernihiv, and Sumy regions in April 2022, it became clear that people wanted to return home, but the territories remained dangerous. The Ukrainian Deminers Association (UDA) was the first to publicly raise the issue of humanitarian demining. In fact, we were the only organization working in this area, as international operators returned only in summer.
We launched an extensive information campaign in Ukraine and abroad. This was critical: demining is one of the most expensive humanitarian areas, and without the support of international partners, technical progress would have been impossible. In 2022, all the equipment and gear came exclusively through donor assistance.
The first robotic systems appeared only after the state and the international community joined the process. At the same time, Ukrainian manufacturers began to emerge: for the first time, we could buy equipment in Ukraine instead of waiting for imports.
2022 was a turning point. It was the year when the industry began to grow and scale systematically.
2022–2025: technologies that are changing demining
After 2022, many innovations appeared in Ukrainian humanitarian demining. They do not replace sappers, but they significantly increase the efficiency and safety of work.
Robotic systems
Ukraine receives equipment from international partners, but it is also actively developing its own production. For example, Germina from the Kramatorsk Heavy Machine Tool Plant is a remotely controlled system that, according to its stated characteristics, can clean up to 5 hectares a day and withstand an anti-tank mine.
Another Ukrainian development, the GART 5100 from Kharkiv-based XTI Engineering, can clear more than 2 hectares in one day.
Such machines significantly speed up the process, but afterwards, sappers still inspect the area manually with a metal detector.
Drones
Drones are used at the non-technical survey stage. They help to detect craters, remnants of equipment, and other signs of hostilities, and to more accurately identify areas for further work. Currently, experts are working to involve drones in the process of land release, which is the direct release and transfer of territories.
Artificial intelligence
AI helps to prioritize. In a situation where the contaminated area reaches hundreds of thousands of hectares, this allows an efficient resource allocation and focus on critical areas. Experts are also working on how to effectively use AI to identify explosive devices.
Satellite images
Analysis of satellite photos is not a proof of the safety of a site, but an important planning tool. For example, if craters are visible on the images, the area could have been shelled. And if the land has been reclaimed after de-occupation, it can be further examined and potentially excluded from the list of dangerous areas.
Machines for soil preparation
Before demining, sappers used to manually clear the area with ordinary lawn mowers, which took up to 50% of their time. Now, there are Ukrainian machines that quickly remove vegetation and prepare the area for metal detection. This significantly reduces the physical load and speeds up the process.
UTTC training and testing complex
On June 3, 2025, the UTTC (Ukrainian Training and Testing Complex), a training and testing complex for testing modern demining technologies, was officially opened. The UDA also joined this process and signed a cooperation agreement with UTTC on the first day.
It is the first training ground in Ukraine to simultaneously test new equipment, including drones and robotic systems, and provide training for specialists. Before UTTC was opened, there was no single facility in Ukraine for testing equipment and practical training for sappers. Now the complex addresses several critical needs of the industry.
What’s next: challenges and prospects
Despite significant progress, there is still much work to be done. First and foremost, we need to scale up mechanized demining and develop the use of animals, including mine-sniffing dogs. These solutions have already proven effective, but are not yet widespread.
Underwater demining is a separate challenge. We are not talking about the sea (this is the responsibility of the Navy), but about inland water bodies: ponds, canals, and shallow rivers. Such objects can and should be surveyed by mine action operators. But this requires specialized equipment, training and clear regulations. Today, this area is hardly developed.
What slows development? First of all, it is the lack of funding. Without resources, it is impossible to scale teams, purchase equipment, or introduce innovations. And instead of looking for new technologies, we are often forced to think about how to maintain what is already working. For example, the UDA has just completed a major project with the support of the Canadian government, and there is no new source to pick it up.
And yet, we are moving forward. Every year, we introduce new approaches, launch Ukrainian developments, train specialists, and create an infrastructure for testing and sharing experience.
We are not just on the threshold – we are already on the way to a major breakthrough. And I speak as someone who has gone all the way – from 2018 to 2025. The changes that have taken place over these seven years are truly tremendous.
Behind this breakthrough is a lot of joint work. All mine action stakeholders, international partners, donors, teams who risk their lives every day to make Ukraine safer.
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