In Cyprus, Ukrainians learn how to escape mines that have killed and maimed hundreds

NICOSIA – At the Cyprus National Guard camp, Ukrainians are trained on how to detect, locate and destroy landmines and other unexploded ordnance that have littered large parts of their country, killing and maiming hundreds of people, including children.

Analysts say Ukraine is among the countries most affected by landmines and dropped explosives. Russia’s ongoing war.

Some 399 people have been killed and 915 injured by landmines and other munitions since Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, according to UN figures. This number is equal to the number of casualties reported between 2014-2021. More than 1 in 10 of these casualties were children.

The economic impact is costing the Ukrainian economy billions of dollars. Land mines and other munitions prevent the cultivation of 5 million hectares, or 10 percent, of the country’s agricultural land.

Cyprus took action to offer its facilities within the scope of the European Union’s Military Assistance Mission to Ukraine. So far, around 100 Ukrainian armed forces personnel have participated in three training cycles in the past two years, Cypriot Foreign Ministry spokesman Theodoros Gotsis said.

“We are determined to continue this support for as long as it takes,” Gotsis told The Associated Press, adding that the Cypriot government covered 250,000 euros ($262,600) in educational expenses.

Cyprus chose to offer such training because of its own mine problems dating back five decades, when it was ethnically divided when Turkey invaded the island nation following a coup aimed at unification with Greece. The United Nations has removed nearly 27,000 mines from the buffer zone that runs across the island, but minefields remain on both sides. The Cypriot government says it has destroyed all anti-personnel mines in line with its obligations under an international agreement banning the use of such munitions.

In Cyprus, Ukrainians receive rigorous theoretical and practical training during a five-week Basic Demining and Clearing course, which includes instructions to distinguish and safely handle land mines and other explosive munitions such as rockets, 155 mm artillery shells, rocket-propelled grenades and mortar shells .

In theoretical training, inert ammunition, which is the same as real explosives, is used.

Much of the course consists of hands-on training focused on on-site disposal of unexploded ordnance using explosives, the chief training officer told The Associated Press. The police officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to identify himself for security reasons.

“They are trained in ammunition disposal using real explosives,” the officer said. “This will be the interns’ primary duty when they return.”

Cypriot officials said they did not want the Ukrainian interns to be interviewed or photographed.

Disarming discarded munitions or landmines in areas where explosives cannot be used (e.g. near hospitals) is not part of this course as this is the task of teams of highly trained disposal experts whose training can take up to eight months. said the officer.

The trainees, divided into groups of eight, are taught how to use metal detectors and other tools to detect munitions such as prodders, which are long, thin rods used to gently probe beneath the ground’s surface to look for mines and other explosive munitions.

Another tool is a rod used to detect booby-trapped munitions. Unlike landmines, which require direct pressure to detonate, there are many ways to booby-trap such munitions.

“Booby-trapped munitions are a common phenomenon in Ukraine,” the chief training officer said.

Conducted mainly by experts from other European Union countries, the training takes place in different army camps in both forested and urban areas and follows strict security protocols.

The short and intense training period allows Ukrainians to focus.

“You see the interest they show during the training: they ask questions, they want to know what mistakes they made and the right way to do it,” the officer said.

Humanitarian data and analysis group ACAPS said in a January 2024 report that 174,000 square kilometers (67,182 square miles), or about 29% of Ukrainian territory, should be examined for landmines and other explosive munitions.

More than 10 million people are said to live in areas where demining efforts are required.

Russian forces have used at least 13 types of anti-personnel mines targeting people since 2022. Russia has never signed the 1997 Ottawa Convention banning the use of anti-personnel mines, but the use of such mines is still considered a violation of its obligations under international law.

Russia also uses 13 types of anti-tank mines.

Ukrainian government forces may have used antipersonnel mines in and around the city of Izium in violation of the Mine Ban Treaty in 2022, when the city was under Russian control, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines said in its 2023 Landmine Monitor report.