Defense minister: 5,000 specialists needed to demine Ukraine

Ukraine needs 5,000 specialists to de-mine its territory, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said in a joint briefing on April 10 at the Ukraine Media Center in Odesa.

Reznikov estimated that it could take up to 30 years to fully remove Russian-planted mines from Ukrainian territory.

He added that the estimate was made using Croatia as an example, where an average of 50 kilometers per year were cleared of mines after the conflict ended.

According to Reznikov, the estimate of 5,000 specialists indicates the number needed in addition to those already committed from other countries.

According to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, nearly one-third of Ukraine has been mined since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

Ukraine’s State Emergency Service previously said that Ukraine would need at least 10 years to demine its territories after the war.