UN adviser: Mines and unexploded ordnance are major barrier to Ukraine recovery, require billions to clear

Paul Heslov, an adviser with the UN Mine Action Service to the U.N. country team in Ukraine, warned at a United Nations Correspondents Association briefing that mines and unexploded ordnance are widely contaminating Ukraine and will require billions of dollars and new approaches to clear.

"Contaminated land is not just dangerous, it's lost hope, recovery, and livelihood," Heslov said, adding that "20% of the country is suspected of having some level of contamination" and that "over 6,000,000 people now live near hazardous areas." He said 812 incidents have been recorded since the full-scale invasion and described the situation as "probably the most significant problem for mines in Europe" since World War II.

Heslov said recent advances in remote sensing and data analysis have already reduced the estimated contaminated area. Two years ago, he said, roughly 74,000 square kilometers of land were suspected of contamination; that figure has fallen to about 39,000 square kilometers after applying satellite and drone imagery, AI and other techniques. Heslov credited Ukrainian authorities and new technologies with "releasing over assessing over 30,000 square kilometers of land that may have…