Ihor Klymenko: More than 2,000 square kilometres cleared of mines by SESU and National Police EOD experts since the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion
This was stated by Ihor Klymenko, the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, in the course of a meeting at the Mine Action Office chaired by Denys Shmyhal, the Prime Minister of Ukraine.
The head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine stressed that in 2023-2024, the work of the Ministry of Internal Affairs system was aimed at significantly strengthening the capabilities of demining units. According to him, high-quality training, gear, technical equipment, as well as amendments to the organisation of activities have significantly improved the results of demining operations.
"Over the period, EOD experts removed more than 898,000 explosive ordnance. Owing to government support, the number of EOD experts has also been significantly increased: the SESU now employs more than 2,300 specialists, and the National Police has 525 EOD experts. In cooperation with international partners, Ukraine is building a modern Demining Training Centre, offering training and advanced training for both public and private mine action operators", – said Ihor Klymenko.
The Minister also pointed out that an important step in coordinating demining processes was the establishment of the Mine Action Office in September 2023, operating under the SESU.
“This unit monitors all demining processes in real time. In addition, the upgrading of the Underwater Demining Centre has made it possible to train 336 sapper divers who can now perform tasks even at depths of up to 50 metres using specialised barocamps”, – added the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
In addition, Ihor Klymenko noted the importance of technical re-equipment:
“Today, the Ministry of Internal Affairs system has 101 mechanised demining machines, deployed depending on weather conditions, as well as more than 2,600 metal detectors of various types. Specialised workshops have been set up for their maintenance and repair. Special attention is paid to the certification of mine action operators. To date, 35 organisations have received the operator status, including ten SESU units. Another 35 organisations are undergoing certification”.
The Minister of Internal Affairs also spoke about the Ministry's immediate plans, including the creation of an interagency training base for K9 units, the introduction of a register of areas contaminated by explosive ordnance, and the expansion of innovative technologies. The SESU is already testing the latest reconnaissance UAVs and preparing more than 200 EOD experts for work.
In addition, it is planned to actively introduce underwater and surface robotic systems, UAVs with magnetometers for detailed survey of contaminated areas.
“These results demonstrate the effectiveness of our strategy and our readiness to continue working to ensure the safety of citizens”, – concluded Ihor Klymenko.
Photo: Government portal
Communications Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
