Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Bohdan Drapyaty met with the Head of the European Commission's Foreign Policy Instruments Service Peter Wagner
On Europe Day, which Ukraine celebrates for the first time this year on May 9, the EU delegation, headed by the Head of the European Commission's Foreign Policy Instruments Service Peter Wagner, paid an official visit to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. At the meeting, the parties discussed the issue of demining our territories and the topic of war crimes committed by the Russian Federation in Ukraine.
In October 2022, Peter Wagner was already in Ukraine. Then the Head of the Foreign Policy Instruments Service of the European Commission got acquainted with the work of pyrotechnic calculations of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in Kyiv region.
Now Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Bohdan Drapyaty said that active work on demining the deoccupied territories continues, which is currently 36 thousand km².
“To date, 174,000 km² of Ukrainian land have been mined by Russian troops. 1000 pyrotechnicians are cleaning the territory, by the end of this year we plan to increase their number to 1300,” Bohdan Drapyaty noted.
Also, the Deputy Minister informed the European guests that there are 9 unique machines for mechanical demining in the units of the State Emergency Service, but for the scale of the mined territories they are not enough:
“Thanks to the European Union and our partners, we plan to increase up to 35 machines that will help to deport our lands faster and more efficiently,” the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine stressed.
The head of the European Commission's Foreign Policy Instruments Service, Peter Wagner, expressed his gratitude for the continuation of the automatic struggle of fire technicians of the State Emergency Service and the National Police to clear Ukrainian soil of Russian munitions. He said that the EU is working to supply our state with new mining machines.
In turn, the Deputy Minister reported on the recording by the National Police of war crimes that Russian troops committed and continue to do daily on the territory of Ukraine. Bohdan Drapyaty noted that police officers are the first to enter the de-occupied territories, recording crimes.
Peter Wagner expressed his support and pride for Ukrainian rescuers, police officers and all who continue to fight for freedom. He stressed that the European Union will stand with Ukraine until its victory over the Russian invaders and will contribute to the provision of all necessary assistance.
Department of Communications of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine
