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UNDP mine-action chief warns of millions of unexploded munitions in Ukraine, highlights drone use
Summary
Paul Heslop, chief technical adviser for the UNDP Mine Action Programme in Ukraine, said widespread contamination and high volumes of munitions have produced large numbers of unexploded ordnance, stressed use of drones and sensors in clearance work, and warned of global economic ripple effects.
Paul Heslop, chief technical adviser for the UNDP Mine Action Programme in Ukraine, warned that explosive hazards from both Soviet-era and modern munitions have left large swathes of the country at risk and said ongoing demining work has implications beyond Ukraine.
"You've got a frontline now that's well over 1000 kilometers," Heslop said, adding that "potentially up to a third of the country is suspected of being contaminated," a scale he likened to "the size of, like, 2 Frances." He spoke in a recorded interview about the scale and technical challenge of mine-action operations in Ukraine.
Heslop described a rule-of-thumb calculation to convey scale: "Even as a rule of thumb, if you say 10% of weapon systems fail ... if 30,000 items are being fired a…
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