According to the latest United Nations report, many parts of Ukraine have suffered severe damage in ongoing airstrikes. As of the morning of June 5th, at least 45 people have been injured or killed, and the damage to civilian infrastructure is alarming.

What is even more serious is that unexploded ordnance left over from war poses a long-term threat to civilians, and its impact far exceeds the scope of immediate attacks.

Paul Heslop, Senior Advisor to the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in Ukraine, emphasized at a press conference in New York that a large amount of unexploded ordnance has made Ukraine the "most severely polluted area by explosives in the world since World War II," posing an unprecedented challenge to the survival and livelihood recovery of the population.


On May 21st, White Angel members of the Ukrainian police force evacuated personnel from frontline towns and villages to assist an elderly person in Pokrovsk, Donetsk Oblast. (Reuters)

Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, approximately 20% of Ukraine's territory (139000 square kilometers) has been actually or potentially contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance, directly affecting over 6 million people.
Heslop pointed out that these explosives not only hinder people from returning home and prevent farmland from being cultivated, but also make children the most vulnerable group - their risk of injury or death due to curiosity or accidental contact is significantly higher than that of adults.

As of now, recorded unexploded ordnance has caused over 800 casualties, but the actual number may be higher as many accidents in remote areas have not been accounted for.

It is worth noting that the psychological impact of "perceived pollution" is equally severe as actual pollution. Heslop stated that for every 1 square kilometer of truly polluted land, there may be 100 square kilometers of land considered unsafe, and this fear has led to economic stagnation in large areas.

For example, the Kherson region, as a traditional agricultural granary in Ukraine, has missed multiple planting seasons due to the dense presence of landmines. Farmers are forced to take the risk of using metal detectors to mine and cultivate while still facing life-threatening situations.

The war has had a particularly devastating impact on Ukrainian agriculture. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the agricultural sector has suffered losses of $83.9 billion since the outbreak of the conflict, with widespread contamination of farmland by landmines being one of the main causes.

For example, as Ukraine's largest exporter of agricultural products, Niblon Company suffered losses of nearly $500 million due to equipment damage and unusable farmland, and was forced to train workers for mine clearance on its own. Although FAO has supported 250000 households through the distribution of vouchers, seeds, and other means, the slow progress of mine clearance has resulted in a distant agricultural recovery.

The economic recession further exacerbates the crisis. In the first two months of 2025, Ukraine's GDP will only grow by 1.1%, less than one-third of the same period last year. The inflation rate will climb to 13.4%, and basic food prices will double. Electricity shortages, logistics disruptions, and international supply chain disruptions have significantly reduced industrial capacity, causing pillar industries such as construction and metallurgy to stagnate and soaring unemployment rates.


Although the United Nations Mine Action Service has cooperated with Ukrainian authorities to declare a 35000 square kilometer area as a safe zone, the mine clearance work still faces multiple challenges.

Traditional manual mine clearance is inefficient and requires a significant amount of manpower and time. Heslop pointed out that "the most thorough method is still for personnel to carry detectors and walk for inspection," and if 500 teams were to work simultaneously on the existing landmines in Ukraine, it would take 757 years to clear them.

To address this challenge, the international community is promoting technological innovation. Ukrainian engineers have recently developed thermal imaging drone mine clearance technology: using the difference in thermal radiation absorbed by landmines after sunlight, they can accurately locate and destroy explosives at night.

The United Nations system is also collaborating with more than 20 Ukrainian institutions to try satellite remote sensing and artificial intelligence assisted screening to improve efficiency. However, these technologies have not yet been widely adopted and rely on stable power and network support, making it difficult to promote in war-torn areas.

The international community has promised to provide $1 billion for Ukraine's mine clearance, but Heslop emphasized that the actual demand could reach billions of dollars. Austria recently announced a provision of 5 million euros to the United Nations World Food Programme's mine clearance project, but compared to the vast contaminated area, such assistance is insufficient.

More seriously, the United Nations itself is facing a financial crisis, with a shortfall of $2.4 billion in the regular budget and $2.7 billion in the peacekeeping budget, which may affect the sustainability of mine action.

Heslop called on all countries to increase investment, pointing out that mine clearance is not only related to the safety of the Ukrainian people, but also closely related to global food and energy security. As the "granary of Europe," Ukraine's agricultural paralysis has led to global food price fluctuations. If pollution continues, the crisis will further spread.


On May 25th, Tetiana Maximenko, a resident of the Markharivka district in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, stood in front of her own house destroyed by a Russian rocket. (Reuters)

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations warns that the food shortage in the Gaza Strip and the landmine crisis in Ukraine form a "dual humanitarian disaster", both of which expose the systematic violation of the basic rights of civilians by the conflict.

Currently, Ukraine requires 2297 tons of supplies per day to meet the minimum survival standard of 2100 calories, but only 50 trucks were allowed to enter on June 4th, far below the demand.

The International Court of Justice has repeatedly called on Israel to expand aid access to Gaza, but the situation in Ukraine also requires global attention. Heslop emphasized that "mine clearance is the foundation for rebuilding trust and dignity," and this process must be synchronized with political dialogue in order to completely end the vicious cycle of conflict.

After Russia launched a new round of large-scale attacks on June 7th, the humanitarian situation in Ukraine has further deteriorated.

The United Nations urges all parties to comply with international law, cease attacks against civilians, and open up safe channels for mine clearance and aid.

As Heslop said, "Today's investment is not only for Ukraine's tomorrow, but also for a stable future for the world