Denys Shmyhal: Gov’t is working to establish an International Demining Center

The Cabinet of Ministers has already commenced activities to establish an International Demining Center, announced the Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal in a videoadress on May 15.

“The russian army left behind thousands of mines, shells and bombs. Our pyrotechnic heroes have neutralized more than 80,000 of them. Every day 4-5 thousand dangerous explosives are dismantled. But, unfortunately, for months to come we will

find and neutralize such remnants of the "russian world" on our land,” said the Head of Government.

According to the Prime Minister, establishment of such a center was talked over with the UN Under-Secretary-General, with the leaders of European countries and with all our partners, Besides, the Ministry for the Reintegration of the Temporary Occupied Territories in synergy with the Ministry of the Interior and other ministries, is to develop a multi-year State Mine Action Strategy.

“ Such a strategy should include not only the phased search and disposal of explosive devices, but should also cover other areas, from schooling to communication campaigns that tell what these objects look like,” noted the Head of Government.

Denys Shmyhal announced also that an interactive map with places of detection of explosive objects and dangerous areas has been launched on the official website of the State Emergency Service.

“I am separately asking and appealing to parents from cities and villages that have been deoccupied: tell children about the dangers, do not let them go for walks outside the settlements, outside the territory where mine action has already been carried out,” urged the Prime Minister of Ukraine.

According to the Head of Government, the Ministry of the Interior has already been commissioned to increase the number of sappers and rescuers in order to speed up this work. But thousands of square kilometers of territory is to be checked, Denys Shmyhal told.