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Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
The fearless women risking it all to rid Ukraine of Russia's landmines: The Mail meets brave volunteers combing for explosives in the world's largest minefield
Dressed in an armoured vest and explosive-proof helmet Nika, 39, looks almost unrecognisable from her carefree pre-war self. Before February 2022 Nika was an adventurous nomad who worked an envious job as a diving instructor in Egypt 's crystal clear waters. But now, she spends her days working tirelessly for the British-based NGO, Mines Advisory Group (MAG) - risking her life to painstakingly clear her homeland of unexploded cluster munitions, landmines, and bombs. As more and more men are conscripted and sent to the front, women like Nika are stepping up and volunteering to put their lives on the line and do their bit for the nation. Nika, who manages a team of nine Ukrainian de-miners, has vowed to spend the rest of her life working for MAG, meticulously combing through farmland looking for bombs in the hopes of making her country safe once again. Speaking to the Mail, in the middle of an active minefield less than 30 kilometres from the frontline she said: 'I am prepared to devote the rest of my life to this work. 'It is in my blood as a Ukrainian to want to do something to contribute to the vital war effort. With this work I know I am saving lives and doing something good by helping people get back to their fields.' As a result of Russia's ongoing war - Ukraine is now believed to be the largest minefield in the world, with as many as 2 million devices thought to be scattered around the country. Most of these weapons have been set up by invading Russian soldiers - who plant barely-visible tripwires and boobytraps in farmland: hidden under debris or buried in the dirt. MAG - which has its headquarters in Manchester and operates in 35 countries - began its humanitarian work in Ukraine in August 2022. They have estimated it will take around six months just to clear the field Nika and her team are currently working on, which is around 46,000 square metres (about six and a half football pitches). But their efforts are essential. An estimated 257 Ukrainian civilians - 15 of them children - are thought to have been killed by unexploded munitions since Russia's full scale invasion began. Hundreds more have been injured including Lidia Borova, a 70-year-old widow and keen gardener. On July 24 2023, she was out mushroom foraging in a forest near her home in Izium, 20 miles from the eastern frontline. Locals had marked some of the dangerous areas in the forest with red sticks to warn people about potentially landmines. But there were no markers nearby when Lidia accidentally stepped on a 'butterfly mine' - named as such because of its tiny size (3-4 inches) and butterfly-like shape. They are illegal under international law. Lidia's right foot and ankle were immediately torn from her body by the strength of the explosion and the bucket of mushrooms she had been carrying as well as her phone flew out of her hands. She crawled several metres along the dirty, leaf-strewn forest floor and managed to grab her phone and call for help. Thankfully she survived - but her right leg was amputated. As we stand surrounded by acres of potentially explosive farmland and seemingly endless rolling fields it is hard not to be intimidated by the seemingly insurmountable scale of the task at hand but also the pressing need for urgent action. In Mykolaiv, the region we are currently in, four people were killed by mines in the first three months of 2024. But the determined deminers in Nika's team doggedly comb through every inch of land diligently searching for any sign of danger. First, they trim the grass with garden scissors, then they run metal detectors over small sections of land, and finally they investigate any positive results with long metal wires which they gently poke into the dirt. If they find a landmine, specialist teams are called in. Their work takes hours. 'It's very slow,' says Nika who has been working with MAG since October 2023, 'but I know that what we're doing is very important. 'We just go day by day and I try not to think about how many years it will take to de-mine Mykolaiv.' In Ukraine, Russians are planting 13 different types of mines which are designed to maim or kill people - as opposed to tanks - according to a survey by Human Rights Watch. The often inconspicuous devices can remain dormant for decades until they are triggered by even the most delicate of touches or lightest of steps. For the almost 500,000 residents of Mykolaiv they will likely have to live with this danger for the rest of their lives. In local primary and secondary schools near contaminated fields, children are being warned by MAG volunteers where it is safe to play, what mines look like and what to do if you see one in real life. 'Everyday living in Mykolaiv is a high risk because you never know when a missile is going to strike or where it is going to hit,' explains Nika. She explains that clean water is absent from Mykolaiv, while electricity is intermittent and they live under 'constant' missile strikes. So it is no wonder her hatred for what the Russian army has done 'never stops'. 'They've destroyed our land and a future for our children.' But NGOs have a secret weapon up their sleeves which could help speed up the laborious mine sweeping process. Daryna Hzomychenko, 23, is currently training to be a member of Dutch NGO Apop's elite all-female mine-sweeping dog squad. Due to Ukraine's draconian conscription laws that prohibit all men aged between 18-60 from leaving the country, only women are able to fly to Cambodia to complete Apopo's training. We meet Daryna and her dog in a demining training centre in Mykolaiv alongside 17 other mine detection dogs and eight other all-female handlers. They are hoping to be deployed by August and will be the first technical survey dog teams to operate in Ukraine. The dogs are trained to quickly survey vast swathes of farmland by sniffing out and detecting the scent of explosive materials. When we arrive, the dogs are already hard at work, dashing through the fields honing their detection techniques. Suddenly, Daryna's dog stops dead in its tracks and sits frighteningly still in front of a dummy mine. 'We left her something to find so she stays motivated and knows that she's doing a good job,' Ibrahim, a senior dog trainer, tells me. As reward for her success, the dog is given one minute to play on her favourite chew toy and is showered with hugs and praise from her handler - before she is quickly sent back to work. While there is no denying that this is dangerous work, Daryna doesn't seem phased. The same cannot be said for Daryna's parents who are, she says, 'worried and anxious'. No wonder, when her uncle is currently missing in action and boyfriend is serving on the front line. But it's the thought of someone, particularly a child, stepping on a mine that compels Daryna to do her 'duty'. 'If I find just one landmine then that means I will probably be saving someone's life,' she says. On Ukraine's frontlines the dangers for military sapers are even greater. Originally from Burnley, Harley Whitehead, 34, joined a sapper team in the Ukrainian volunteer army in June 2023. Since then, his team has neutralised more than 14,000 mines. But their huge success has not been without its enormous costs. Last year, Harley's best friend - an Australian volunteer - was killed by a boobytrapped landmine while he was trying to clear a safe route for a medical evacuation from the front. It is something Harley does not want to speak about openly so as not to upset his family. But in an Instagram post made on May 16 about his friend's death he said: 'You did what you wanted and died a hero's death. 'I am completely and utterly broken and have been all day - just like you wouldn't have wanted me to be.' Three months ago, Haryley's colleague Oleg had the bottom half of his leg severed after he stepped on a butterfly mine. He is currently in rehab learning how to manage his new disability. But these deadly and sometimes life changing consequences do not deter Harley from what he believes is essential work. 'I completely believe in the work we are doing', he explains 'I have seen the problems of the landmine crisis up close and how the poorest regions are affected by dense minefields. 'I will never get tired of clearing landmines. 'I will never tire of fighting for what I believe in.' Even with so many dedicated deminers, experts predict that clearing Ukraine's fields could take decades, and at vast expense. As rockets continue to pound Ukraine's front line, their unexploded payloads hidden in undergrowth waiting for a foot to detonate them, the true extent of the deadly 'contamination' cannot be fully grasped. As Darren Cormack, Chief Executive of MAG opines, the horrific dangers of these mines will persist 'long after the guns have fallen silent'. But so will the efforts of these determined deminers, who are putting their lives on the line to give their country a future.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Unravelling of landmine treaty a ‘major challenge to arms control'
Plans by several European countries to leave a major landmine treaty represent 'one of the most significant challenges to global arms control in decades,' the head of the world's largest demining charity has said. Writing in The Telegraph, Major General James Cowan, the CEO of the Halo Trust, said: 'After decades of protection by America, Europeans are now planning for their own defence of the continent.' But he added: 'While most weapons are used in the moment, landmines lie in the ground killing and maiming long after the war has ended.' Finland, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia have all either left or announced plans to leave the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Treaty, better known as the Ottawa Treaty, in recent weeks in an effort to shore up their defences and deter neighbouring Russia from invading. Their decisions have upended decades of consensus regarding the use of anti-personnel mines in Europe, and raised questions over the effectiveness of bans on other kinds of weapons. While the Halo Trust is dedicated to removing landmines, working in dozens of countries around the world including Ukraine, Syria and Afghanistan, Maj Gen Cowan was pragmatic about the decisions made by those countries bordering Russia. 'I'm very strongly in favour of the treaty and improving it, not abandoning it,' he told The Telegraph. 'The concern is those frontline states, and we've got to find a way to make it possible for them to not feel threatened, that their democracy, their sovereignty, can be protected, but also that this incredibly successful treaty is not abandoned,' he added. 'Let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.' Other demining charities The Telegraph spoke to were similarly sympathetic to the security concerns of countries bordering Russia. 'We recognise there are no easy choices when a state feels under threat of armed aggression,' said Riccardo Labianco, an international policy manager for the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), another major UK-based charity. 'But International Humanitarian Law (IHL), including the Ottawa Convention, is designed precisely for times like these. 'For decades, military and humanitarian experts alike, have agreed, with evidence, that landmines are so dangerous for civilians that the only good choice is to never use them.' The Ottawa Treaty was hailed as a breakthrough in efforts to eradicate the use of anti-personnel mines – smaller mines designed to kill people rather than blow up vehicles. Since it was signed in 1997, 164 countries have ratified or acceded to it. Jody Williams, who in 1997 became one of only 12 women ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize for leading the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), warned that the departure of several European countries from the treaty could spur others to leave. 'With a handful of countries leaving, it makes it easier for others to think about it too,' she told The Telegraph. 'Couple that with all the mines being used by both sides with Putin's invasion of Ukraine and [Elon] Musk's slashing of foreign aid money, which includes support for mine clearance operations, and things look bleak in that part of the world.' Mr Labianco echoed Ms Williams's concerns about the potential proliferation of landmines, noting that 'the Ottawa Convention has had a role in tackling the global circulation of these weapons, preventing their acquisition by irresponsible actors and entities'. Despite the setback to arms control efforts, there is hope that the countries leaving the treaty will use landmines responsibly. Announcing Finland's decision, Alexander Stubb, the country's president, said the move was 'based on a thorough assessment by the relevant ministries and the Defence Forces. 'Finland is committed to its international obligations on the responsible use of mines,' he said. Keir Giles, a Senior Consulting Fellow of the Russia and Eurasia programme at the Chatham House think tank, said: 'There's a huge difference between weapons like landmines and cluster munitions when they are used and deployed by responsible countries that are governed by international humanitarian law, or when they used by countries like Russia.' Anti-personnel mines, if they are used, will be deployed as part of a complex system of defences including trenches, natural barriers like forests and rivers, as well as fortifications like the 'dragon's teeth' obstacles seen in Ukraine. The way they are used will differ from country to country, Mr Giles said, noting that the Baltic states, due to their small size, 'need to defend all of their territory, because as soon as they run out of space, they're out of time'. Even the demining charities are sanguine about developments in technology that could reduce the risks associated with the weapons. Newer landmines can be detonated or deactivated remotely, said Maj Gen Cowan, making them much easier to remove and control than older 'dumb' weapons, that 'stay in the ground, meant to kill a soldier, but actually it will kill a civilian, a child, decades after the event'. 'The Americans, with the mines that they gave to Ukraine in November, stated that the mines they had given can do that,' he said. 'So the technology is emerging that allows that to happen, and we need to have a conversation about what technology could keep the treaty current, live and still meeting its humanitarian remit.' Protect yourself and your family by learning more about Global Health Security Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Unravelling of landmine treaty a ‘major challenge to arms control'
Other demining charities The Telegraph spoke to were similarly sympathetic to the security concerns of countries bordering Russia. 'We recognise there are no easy choices when a state feels under threat of armed aggression,' said Riccardo Labianco, an international policy manager for the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), another major UK-based charity. 'But International Humanitarian Law (IHL), including the Ottawa Convention, is designed precisely for times like these. 'For decades, military and humanitarian experts alike, have agreed, with evidence, that landmines are so dangerous for civilians that the only good choice is to never use them.' The Ottawa Treaty was hailed as a breakthrough in efforts to eradicate the use of anti-personnel mines – smaller mines designed to kill people rather than blow up vehicles. Since it was signed in 1997, 164 countries have ratified or acceded to it. Jody Williams, who in 1997 became one of only 12 women ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize for leading the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), warned that the departure of several European countries from the treaty could spur others to leave. 'With a handful of countries leaving, it makes it easier for others to think about it too,' she told The Telegraph. 'Couple that with all the mines being used by both sides with Putin's invasion of Ukraine and [Elon] Musk's slashing of foreign aid money, which includes support for mine clearance operations, and things look bleak in that part of the world.' Mr Labianco echoed Ms Williams's concerns about the potential proliferation of landmines, noting that 'the Ottawa Convention has had a role in tackling the global circulation of these weapons, preventing their acquisition by irresponsible actors and entities'. High-tech territorial defence Despite the setback to arms control efforts, there is hope that the countries leaving the treaty will use landmines responsibly. Announcing Finland's decision, Alexander Stubb, the country's president, said the move was 'based on a thorough assessment by the relevant ministries and the Defence Forces. 'Finland is committed to its international obligations on the responsible use of mines,' he said. Keir Giles, a Senior Consulting Fellow of the Russia and Eurasia programme at the Chatham House think tank, said: 'There's a huge difference between weapons like landmines and cluster munitions when they are used and deployed by responsible countries that are governed by international humanitarian law, or when they used by countries like Russia.' Anti-personnel mines, if they are used, will be deployed as part of a complex system of defences including trenches, natural barriers like forests and rivers, as well as fortifications like the 'dragon's teeth' obstacles seen in Ukraine. The way they are used will differ from country to country, Mr Giles said, noting that the Baltic states, due to their small size, 'need to defend all of their territory, because as soon as they run out of space, they're out of time'. Even the demining charities are sanguine about developments in technology that could reduce the risks associated with the weapons. Newer landmines can be detonated or deactivated remotely, said Maj Gen Cowan, making them much easier to remove and control than older 'dumb' weapons, that 'stay in the ground, meant to kill a soldier, but actually it will kill a civilian, a child, decades after the event'. 'The Americans, with the mines that they gave to Ukraine in November, stated that the mines they had given can do that,' he said. 'So the technology is emerging that allows that to happen, and we need to have a conversation about what technology could keep the treaty current, live and still meeting its humanitarian remit.'
Arab News
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
UK bomb disposal expert injured in Gaza blast
LONDON: A bomb disposal expert from the UK has been injured in an explosion in Gaza. The unnamed 51-year-old was wounded at a UN facility in Deir Al-Balah on Wednesday. Four others were injured and a UN worker was killed in the incident. The Briton, who was working in Gaza as an explosive ordnance disposal expert for the Mines Advisory Group, was treated locally before being moved to a hospital in Israel. Darren Cormack, the charity's CEO, told the BBC that the man was conducting an explosive hazards assessment at a UN Office for Project Services facility when the explosion occurred. 'The UN has confirmed that today's incident did not occur in the course of normal EOD operations and resulted from ordnance being fired at or dropped on the building in which the team was working,' Cormack said. 'It is shocking that a humanitarian facility should be subject to attacks of this nature and that humanitarian workers are being killed and injured in the line of duty.' Cormack added: 'Attacks against humanitarian premises are a breach of international law.' Health authorities in Gaza said the explosion was a result of Israeli military activity. Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein posted on X: 'The circumstances of the incident are being investigated. We emphasize that the initial examination found no connection to IDF (Israel Defense Forces) activity whatsoever.' Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for the UN secretary-general, told the BBC: 'We are making it clear that all military operations have to be conducted in a way that ensures that all civilians are respected and protected.' UNOPS chief Jorge Moreira da Silva said the explosion was 'not an accident' and described the situation in Gaza as 'unconscionable.'
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
British bomb disposal expert injured in Gaza
A British bomb disposal expert has been injured in an attack on a UN facility in the Gaza Strip, the charity he works for has said. The 51-year-old, who was not named, was one of five people injured in an explosion that also killed a UN worker at the facility in Deir al-Balah on Wednesday morning, the Mines Advisory Group said. Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary general, told BBC Newshour a full investigation into the incident would be needed. The Israeli military has denied reports it targeted the UN compound and has said the explosion was not caused by Israeli fire. Israel said earlier it was resuming fighting in Gaza following a two-month ceasefire - launching a wave of strikes that killed more than 400 people, according to the Palestinian territory's Hamas-run health ministry. The injured Briton is an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) expert who works for the Manchester-based mine clearance charity. The charity's chief executive, Darren Cormack, said the man had been conducting an explosive hazards assessment at a UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) building at the time of the incident. He was initially taken to hospital in Gaza for treatment and has since been moved to a hospital in Israel, Mr Cormack said. "The UN has confirmed that today's incident did not occur in the course of normal EOD operations and resulted from ordnance being fired at or dropped on the building in which the team was working," he added. "It is shocking that a humanitarian facility should be subject to attacks of this nature and that humanitarian workers are being killed and injured in the line of duty," he said. "Attacks against humanitarian premises are a breach of international law." Israeli foreign ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein wrote on X: "The circumstances of the incident are being investigated. "We emphasize that the initial examination found no connection to IDF activity whatsoever." Gaza's health ministry blamed an Israeli strike for the attack. The UN's Farhan Haq told the BBC: "We are making it clear that all military operations have to be conducted in a way that ensures that all civilians are respected and protected." The head of the UNOPS, Jorge Moreira da Silva, said he believed the explosion was "not an accident", adding that the situation in Gaza was "unconscionable". The war in Gaza was triggered when Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 back to Gaza as captives. Israel responded with a massive military offensive, which has killed more than 48,500 Palestinians, Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry says, and caused huge destruction to homes and infrastructure. The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, called for "restraint" during a telephone conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Wednesday night. "The Prime Minister underscored that he is deeply concerned by the return to fighting and urged for Israeli restraint," a Downing Street spokesperson said. UN says worker killed in Gaza as Israeli air strikes resume Why has Israel bombed Gaza and what next for ceasefire deal? 'Once again, fear has gripped the people' Aid workers killed in Israeli air strike in Gaza, charity tells BBC
