Ukraine: Mine contamination is lethal legacy of Russia’s invasion

This article is published in association with United Nations.

An estimated 100 million people in more than 60 countries and territories live under the threat of landmines and explosive ordnance – with war-torn Ukraine now the most heavily contaminated country in the world – the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) said on Monday.  

Millions of mines have been scattered across the battlefields of Ukraine since the full-scale Russian invasion on 24 February 2022, making it the most dangerous place for unexploded weapons today.

Rising toll

And as armed violence escalates worldwide, the UN agency says that the number injured and killed by mines and other explosive ordnance rose by 22 per cent in 2024. That amounts to more than 1,000 extra victims compared to 2023, according to the specialized UN agency, which was established in 1997.

Around 85 per cent of the victims of explosive ordnance worldwide are civilians and more than half are children.  

Many of those at risk live in places where there is active conflict. But for some, the menace endures decades after the fighting ends.

Force for good

Mine action has existed for decades and has earned recognition as a key enabler for long-term peace and security, as well as development.

“You can’t have full access to agriculture and food security if there are mines in the ground,” said James Staples, Chief for Policy, Advocacy, Donor Relations at UNMAS.

“Children can’t go to school…You can’t create job…People can’t return to their homes, whether they’re IDPs or refugees,” Mr. Staples said, referring to internally displaced persons.

Surging conflicts

The surge in conflict is making the work of mine action specialists like UNMAS more difficult.  

“We are seeing a number of conflicts growing both in terms of number in scope and in scale,” the UNMAS policy chief told journalists in Geneva, ahead of the mine action community’s annual conference in the Swiss city from 9 to 11 April.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres echoed that message in his call to action on mine-clearance amid a “tragically surging” threat. “Landmines, explosive remnants of war and improvised explosive devices continue to threaten lives, hinder humanitarian aid and peacekeeping and block rebuilding,” he said.

In frontline regions of Ukraine, UN agencies also support awareness-building efforts to protect children from landmines. 

Live-saving lessons

“If we see one, we must call the police so they can remove it,” said Kira, a seven-year-old in the southeast city of Zaporizhzhia.

Taking the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)-partnered classes is Anna Popsui, Senior Inspector at the State Emergency Service, who says that she and her colleagues always give out stickers and colouring books once the lesson is over.

“We also have lessons on what to do if they find themselves trapped under rubble,” adds Ms. Popsui.

‘Unimaginable horror’

In a related development, a Russian strike on the city of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine on Friday killed at least 18 people and wounded another 75 including nine children. Most were playing at a park when the missile hit.

The UN Human Rights Office in Ukraine called the attack the deadliest single strike harming children it has verified since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.