Russia-Ukraine War: United States Will Contribute $89 Million To The Removal Of Land Mines In Ukraine

The US will provide Ukraine with USD 89 million to remove land mines planted by Russian forces. The United States State Department made the announcement on Tuesday. The assistance will benefit 100 demining teams.

It will also provide Ukrainian personnel with training and equipment to remove land mines from approximately 16 million hectares of territory, according to AFP. “Russia’s unlawful and unprovoked further invasion of Ukraine has left massive swaths of the country littered with landmines, unexploded ordnance, and improvised explosive devices,” the State Department said, as quoted by the news agency.

The statement went on to say that Russian forces planted land mines, which impeded access to fertile farmland and slowed reconstruction efforts. According to the US State Department, these explosives also keep displaced communities from returning home and continue to kill and maim innocent Ukrainian civilians.

According to reports, Russian troops left a large number of explosives behind when they were forced to withdraw from northern Ukraine. According to AFP, Russian soldiers left behind improvised mines hidden in food facilities, car trunks, doorways, and the bodies of people killed in the war.

According to the official, a family in Bucha discovered a bomb in their 10-year-old daughter’s piano. Notably, hundreds of civilians were reportedly slaughtered by Russian forces in Bucha. It is located to the west of Kyiv. Ukraine has reportedly diffused approximately 160,000 mines since late March. On February 24, this year, Russia invaded Ukraine.