Making Ukraine Safer, One Step at a Time

Ukraine is now the most mined country in the world, with over 146,000 square kilometers potentially contaminated with mines, munitions and other explosive devices. That makes nearly a third of the country uninhabitable, with millions of Ukrainian displaced and hundreds of thousands left without jobs or at risk of losing their lives or limbs.

No other nation has the same dire need for tens of thousands of deminers to render such a vast area safe during war. Although drones, AI, and mechanical means can quickly survey and secure larger tracts of land, villages, urban areas and infrastructure needs clearing and disposal work to be done by hand.

The shortage of certified mine action professionals with both military and humanitarian demining expertise exacerbates the problem. Even among those already engaged in demining, there is a lack of training to international standards and to higher levels of certification needed to safely manage spot task teams and to prevent on-the-job accidents and fatalities.

In response to this critical situation, Mriya Aid has undertaken the vital task of funding and implementing training programs for personnel from various Ukrainian military and civilian services. Since 2022, over 230 Ukrainian men and women have been certified in the Mriya Aid demining program. The 5-week training in International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) is a game changer, significantly improving professional skills, instilling protocols for various contingencies, and providing graduates with the competence and self-confidence needed to work safely and efficiently in the field. These courses are provided by Praedium Consulting Malta (PCM) at their state-of-the-art facilities in Kosovo. PCM has been a key player in mine action since 1999, providing IMAS and other demining training to deminers who travel from across the globe for these quality courses.

The demining training program funded by Mriya Aid is unique in that it includes intense study, knowledge sharing, and hands-on practice on a particularly wide variety of explosive threats, including those specific to the current war in Ukraine. The subject matter experts at PCM, former combat engineers teaching these courses, work constantly with Ukrainians to keep abreast of the latest techniques used by the Russians to mine Ukrainian infrastructure, buildings and fields, and provides demining professionals being certified with the most appropriate information and equipment to get the job done safely and securely.