Mechanised demining machines, metal detectors and X-ray machines: US government hands over new aid package to the NPU explosive ordnance disposal units
Today, on June 25, Ihor Klymenko, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, along with Bridget Brink, the U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ukraine, and Ivan Vyhivskyi, the Head of the National Police of Ukraine, observed the operation of a GCS-200 mechanised demining machine, handed over to the units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs as part of the material technical assistance provided by the U.S. Government.
In addition, the explosive ordnance disposal units of the National Police of Ukraine received DODGE RAM trucks, X-ray machines, 2 types of blasting machines, metal detectors, etc. The total value of the transferred equipment amounts to USD 2 million.
“On behalf of the entire U.S. Embassy, I would like to express my gratitude for the incredible work your units accomplish every day. We value our partnership and recognize its importance in demining. So today, given the high density of mining on the territory of Ukraine, we would like to assure you that we will continue to provide you with all the support you need. We are proud of our cooperation, and today we are donating additional demining equipment worth $2 million”, – stated Bridget Brink.
In his turn, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine extended his gratitude to the Ambassador for the fruitful cooperation and stressed that the United States has been a steadfast partner of Ukraine for many years:
"This assistance, constantly coming to Ukraine, contributes to our resilience and will continue to do so after the end of the war. We are saving people, demining territories and continuing to rebuild our country. I would like to express my gratitude to our international partners for standing by our side, willing to support us in these challenging yet heroic times for Ukraine. This heroism and these times unite us all".
Ihor Klymenko noted that currently, the units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine are equipped with 50 demining machines, but effective work of the units would require 100 to 110 machines. According to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, this is primarily necessitated to clear agricultural land.
While inspecting the material and technical assistance from the U.S. Government, Volodymyr Khomenko, the Head of the NPU EOD Service, informed the attendees on the functions of the equipment and spoke about the importance of the assistance package.
"Mechanized demining machines enable us to protect our personnel from explosions and significantly accelerate the process of clearing the territories," – noted Volodymyr Khomenko.
In particular, the head of the NPU's EOD Service highlighted the effectiveness of the metal detectors, previously donated by the U.S. Government. According to Volodymyr Khomenko, not a single breakdown has been recorded in two years of use.
Apart from that, Ihor Klymenko and Bridget Brink spoke to a police officer from the Lviv region who had been seriously injured and subsequently underwent amputation while carrying out demining operations in the Kharkiv region. The man is now back in service and continues to work for the National Police of Ukraine.
"Thousands of innocent Ukrainians have lost their lives as a result of explosive ordnance. We are also fully aware that among them are plenty of explosive ordnance disposal officers. We, in our turn, admire the work of your brave team as you do your utmost to restore security for your society", – stated Bridget Brink, the U.S. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ukraine.
Communications Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
