The deminers handed over 13 land plots cleared of mines to the farmers of Mykolaiv Oblast

Deminer «The HALO Trust». Photo: Olena Kozubovska, NikVesti

On March 27, the humanitarian demining program «The HALO Trust Ukraine» handed over the first demined plots of land to the communities of the Bashtanka district of Mykolaiv Oblast.

In total, representatives of the organization handed over 13 land plots with an area of 357.2 thousand square meters for use, writes NikVesti.

The ceremonial handover and signing of documents took place at one of the 13 demined sites «Novopetrivka-3» near the village of Novopetrivka, Bashtanka district.

The mayor of the Vasylivka district signed documents allowing the use of cleared areas of land. Photo: NikVesti

The mayor of the Vasylivka district signed documents allowing the use of cleared areas of land. Photo: NikVesti

«This is the «Novopetrivka-3» agricultural plot. On March 19, 2023, an accident occurred here — a tractor blew up on an anti-tank mine. After that, our manual demining group came here and cleared the area,» said Oleksii Davydovych, the head of demining groups of HALO Trust Ukraine.

Oleksii Davydovych, head of demining groups of HALO Trust Ukraine. Photo: NikVesti

The organizers invited local farmers, representatives of local administrations, as well as people with the sad experience of mine detonation to the solemn ceremony of handing over the vacated plots.

In general, the humanitarian demining organization «The HALO Trust» has been working in Ukraine since 2015. Until 2022, the project was implemented on the territory of Donetsk region, but after the start of a full-scale war, «The HALO Trust» expanded its activities to 6 regions of Ukraine: Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Kherson. «The HALO Trust» has been operating in the Mykolaiv region since March 2023.

April Parkins, operational officer of «The HALO Trust Ukraine» in Mykolaiv-Kherson direction. Photo: NikVesti

April Parkins, operational officer of «The HALO Trust Ukraine» in Mykolaiv-Kherson direction. Photo: NikVesti

«The Mykolaiv and Kherson regions are considered the most contaminated by explosive objects in the zone in which we work in Ukraine,» emphasized April Perkins, operational officer of the Mykolaiv-Kherson direction.

How many Ukrainians were affected by mines?

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, over two years, 610 people were injured, 277 were killed during the detonation of mines and other explosive objects. 14 children were among those killed by mines. Most of the victims were in the Mykolaiv, Kherson and Kharkiv regions.

Last year, 2023, 17 people, including one child, died in the Mykolaiv Oblast due to the detonation of ammunition. According to the calculations of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU), there were a total of 57 cases of detonation of the civilian population by landmines last year.

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On November 24, 2022, a case of mine detonation was recorded in the de-occupied Snihurivka community in the Mykolayiv region. Employees of the State Emergency Service were killed and wounded.

On December 15, 2022, a man found two anti-personnel mines left behind by the Russian military in one of the villages of Snihurivka region. The shells were detonated. A 26-year-old man died on the spot. Subsequently, on April 22, 2022, in the town of Snihurivka, near the former mineral water plant, two residents of the community were blown up by an anti-personnel mine.

On September 20, 2023, a car carrying two men was blown up by a mine in Snihurivka. One of them died on the spot, the second man was hospitalized. Later, on October 11, a combine exploded on a mine in a field near the town of Snihurivka. The driver was injured as a result of the explosion and is in the hospital.

Also, on February 1, 2024 , four people were detonated by a mine near the village of Yevgenivka in the Mykolaiv region. On March 5, 2024, a 38-year-old man blew himself up in the village of Bezimenne, Snigurivka community, Bashtanka district.

We would like to remind you that on March 12, 2024, an interactive safety class was opened at the base of the Department of Emergency Situations in the Mykolaiv region, where children will be taught the rules of handling explosive objects.

Earlier, in August 2023, Mykolaiv rescuers created a mobile mine safety class, which works in various settlements of the region. It was created to minimize risks and reach as many residents of the region as possible, especially in the de-occupied territories or in settlements where active hostilities were taking place.

Read also the article by NikVesti «Decades are needed: How the demining process of the Mykolaiv region continues.»

Also, NikVesti explained what mines are and how to act if you find a suspicious object.