Landmines: use, contamination and civilian harm in Ukraine

Country: Ukraine Source: Handicap International - Humanity & Inclusion Please refer to the attached file. One of the most tragic consequences of war in Ukraine for the civilian population is the contamination of territories with explosive ordnances, primarily anti-vehicle and antipersonnel mines. Their clearance can take decades: explosive substances used in ordnance do not expire, and across the entire territory of Ukraine incidents continue to be recorded involving munitions left over from World War II. Today, the scale of the problem is unprecedented. According to the National Mine Action Platform “Demining Ukraine”, as of February 2026, about 132,076 km2 of Ukrainian territory is at risk of contamination with mines and explosive remnants of war, which is almost a quarter of the country’s area. More than 41,924 km2 have already been returned to safe use1, but a significant part of the territories remains inaccessible due to active hostilities and the occupation of about 18% of the country’s territory. The most affected regions: the eastern and southern regions (Kharkiv, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia, Kherson, Mykolaiv). It was there that the most intense fighting and prolonged occupation took place, and in some of these regions both fighting and occupation continue to this day. “Removing anti-personnel landmines and other explosive ordnance from eastern and southern Ukraine may take decades. These threats will continue to put civilians at risk and disrupt their livelihoods for years. Meanwhile, people in these regions must keep living their lives - working their land and sending their children to school - even though the danger of mines is all around them”. Anne Héry, Humanity & Inclusion’s Director of Advocacy and Institutional Relations 1. The use of landmines in Ukraine. Anti-personnel mines are explosive devices designed to be detonated by the presence, proximity, or contact of a person. Their primary purpose is to injure or kill individuals, and they pose a longterm threat to civilians even decades after conflicts end. The Mine Ban Treaty (Ottawa Convention, 1997) prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personal mines. Anti-vehicle mines designed to target vehicles rather than individuals. These are not covered by the Mine Ban Treaty, though their use is regulated under international humanitarian law. The problem of mines and explosive devices was acute for Ukraine even before the fullscale Russian invasion, as hostilities have been taking place on its territory since 2014. However, after February 2022, this problem has become much more acute. The area of hostilities has expanded significantly; the hostilities themselves have become more difficult and longer, and a much wider range of weapons is used, including cluster munitions. “In Ukraine, what I have seen is much denser emplacement, particularly antivehicle mines laid much closer together than we would normally expect. Anti-personnel mines have also been laid in significant numbers, and this trend is increasing with reports also indicating that drones are being used to drop Anti-personnel mines too. There is a very complex mix of contamination: older munitions combined with very modern systems, including technologies that we have not previously encountered in humanitarian clearance contexts.” Gary Toombs, Global land release technical operations manager, Humanity & Inclusion
2026-04-02 07:03:08