Today at 21:06
Ukrainian agricultural enterprises have regained access to 205,000 hectares of land that were previously surveyed and demined by Ukrainian sappers. This information was announced by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
“Our pyrotechnic units, including the State Emergency Service and the State Special Transport Service, along with non-governmental demining operators, have demonstrated excellent results. Currently, 3,000 to 5,000 hectares of agricultural land are surveyed weekly. Out of the planned 470,000 hectares for survey and, if necessary, immediate demining, over 200,000 hectares have already been returned to farmers for agricultural use,” stated Ukraine’s Minister of Economy, Yulia Svyrydenko, citing information from regional military administrations.
The official also emphasized that the Ukrainian government and international partners are actively working to enhance the capabilities of demining operators and developing a demining strategy for the next 10 years. The ultimate goal is to safely return up to 80% of the country’s territories currently considered potentially contaminated to agricultural use.
As reported by The Gaze, American analysts have noted that Russian forces have systematically destroyed Ukrainian black soil for the second consecutive year. Analysts highlight that a significant portion of the conflict occurs directly on agricultural lands, posing a threat to Ukraine’s agricultural potential. Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion, the country’s agricultural sector has incurred at least $40.2 billion in damages. War-induced damage to Ukrainian farmland includes craters and other physical destruction of the topsoil from explosive ordnance, potential chemical contamination from explosions, fuel spills, remnants of projectiles, and human remains.
Unexploded ordnance and a substantial number of surface-laid mines pose a particular threat. During peak days, the Russian army fired between 40,000 to 60,000 projectiles at Ukrainian positions. Up to 20% of these munitions do not explode, remaining a hazard in Ukrainian soil.
