Patrick Thompson, a Ukraine researcher at Amnesty International, discusses the severe challenges faced by Ukrainian civilians returning to their homes in Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Kherson after the 2022 counter-offensive, highlighting the urgent need for continued international support for demining efforts due to the pervasive danger of anti-personnel mines and ongoing Russian aggression.
In late 2022, following the successful Ukrainian counter-offensive in Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Kherson, many Ukrainian civilians returned to their houses and apartment blocks to find them heavily damaged. Some were greeted not only by destruction and debris but also by a hidden danger.
Ukraine ranks second globally in terms of casualties from landmines – only Syria is ahead. During a recent research trip to Ukraine, I visited numerous residential areas in Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Kherson that contained evidence of anti-personnel mines laid by Russian forces. Unlike Ukraine, Russia has not signed up to the main international convention banning the use of such mines, known as the Ottawa Convention. However, international law is clear: the use of indiscriminate weapons, such as anti-personnel mines, is prohibited.
Having met many civilians impacted by anti-personnel mines in Ukraine, I can attest to the urgent need for investigation into the use of such weapons as possible war crimes. Beyond that, it is crucial that the lifesaving work carried out by deminers in Ukraine receives the continued, long-term support that it requires.
I have personally worked as a deminer. I understand very well how complex, time-consuming and, at times, dangerous the work can be. Deminers in Ukraine work under the scorching sun, as well as freezing conditions in winter. Every square meter of contaminated territory needs to be checked and rechecked, as well as meticulously marked and mapped to ensure nothing is missed. Huge efforts are currently underway in Ukraine to clear dangerous territory, with massive support from the international community, not only providing metal detectors and armoured demining machines but also funding education programs for adults and children and providing support to survivors of landmine explosions.
However, the scale of mine contamination in Ukraine is hard to comprehend. Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine means that access to the most heavily impacted areas along the front lines is currently impossible. Russia’s aggression is the cause of this issue and the single greatest obstacle to its resolution. It must end immediately. Until it does, it will be impossible to rid Ukraine of mines. It also makes it impossible to predict how long such a process might take. Yet, for many civilians, it is already taking too long.
Many people are faced with an impossible choice. Your land may have mines on it, but if you do not farm it, build on it, or gather mushrooms from it, how will you eat? Where will you live? How will you make any money? These questions force civilians to take almost unimaginable risks, as they either work the land, knowing it may kill or injure them, or they attempt to demine the area themselves.
Both state demining organisations and international NGOs have a huge amount of work. Survey and clearance takes time – even once work begins, it is hard to say how many weeks, months or even years it might take. Meanwhile, there are people in Ukraine who almost fully rely on the food they grow themselves. I met a man who tried to clear his land using a bottle and a stick.! Another one used a metal detector borrowed from a relative. Others resort to paying for unofficial demining organisations, but as well as the financial cost, this may have another, higher price. These unofficial organisations and individuals certainly work faster than official agencies. They take significant risks. I met one man who carried out this work despite being injured by an anti-vehicle mine and despite losing a close relative during clearance. It is impossible to fault their bravery, but who is ensuring the quality of the work? If they miss a mine, who is accountable for the following death or injury?
These are the questions faced by civilians in Ukraine every day. They fully understand the danger but view the risk of hunger and poverty as equally dangerous for them and their children.
International donors have pledged tens of millions of dollars in funding for mine action in Ukraine. It is essential that this commitment does not waver, and that resources and technical assistance are provided in the long term. The challenge of ridding Ukraine of mines is herculean, but it is not impossible. I was in Mozambique when it was declared mine-free in 2014, following decades of conflict and subsequent clearance. With the right commitment from international donors and the Government of Ukraine, one day, these impossible choices and risks will be history, along with the landmines that cause them.
