The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Supporting Ukraine to build a mine-free future
Together with the government of the Netherlands and local partners, UNOPS is working to enhance Ukraine’s capacity to eliminate the threat of explosive ordnance.
Latest updates
February 2025
UNOPS procured and delivered a mechanical clearance machine for Ukraine’s State Special Transport Service (SSTS). Operated remotely, the machine protects the operator from exposure to explosives and increases the speed with which land is cleared.
UNOPS has delivered almost half of the over 7,600 items of equipment required for the deployment of 428 new mine action operators who will conduct manual clearance.
Support was provided to SSTS to train 164 individuals, with 138 individuals already qualified as deminers and ready for operational deployment.
The SSTS training centre was equipped with heating and air-conditioning units to enable year-round training capacity.
Ukraine faces a rapidly expanding explosive ordnance threat, threatening over 21 million people and affecting an estimated 174,000 square kilometres. The World Bank and the UN estimate that demining efforts over the next decade will cost $34.6 billion. The presence of explosives in Ukraine also disrupts global food supply chains, as the country was one of the largest grain exporters before Russia's full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.
Even as the conflict continues, Ukraine is determined to clear the explosive remnants of war and restore safe access to land, infrastructure and economic opportunities in vulnerable communities.
To strengthen Ukraine’s mine action efforts, UNOPS is implementing a capacity-building project with funding from the government of the Netherlands. The main focus of the initiative is on equipping and training SSTS personnel to safely and effectively remove explosive ordnance.
The threat of explosive ordnance in Ukraine is huge, and it will take the joint effort of many stakeholders, both public and private, to overcome it.
“The SSTS is here to stay as a key mine action player, and we are very pleased to be receiving support in developing our long-term capacity,” added Oleksandr Yakovets, Head of the SSTS.
The project delivers training and equipment for multiple new demining teams, comprising over 420 operators. These teams are being trained in accordance with national and international mine action standards and are receiving high-quality explosive ordnance disposal equipment to ensure their safety and effectiveness. Crucially, the operators obtain certificates as required by Ukrainian standards, allowing them to be deployed without delay.
The project is also supporting one of the SSTS’s training centres, providing climate control equipment and upgrading its facilities to enable year-round training for deminers. The centre will be able to accommodate a significantly larger number of trainees and provide training regardless of weather conditions.
To further support demining efforts, UNOPS is providing refresher training and advisory support for deployed teams, ensuring they remain equipped with the latest knowledge and best practices.
Through all its activities, the project will enhance Ukraine’s ability to address explosive threats – both now and in the future.
“The international community must extend assistance to Ukraine in leaving behind the explosive legacy of the war,” said Alle Dorhout, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ukraine. “With this project, we are confirming our resolve to stand by Ukraine’s side and help its communities be free of the threat of explosives.”
By building Ukraine’s national demining capacity, the project is supporting the country’s path to recovery – helping communities regain access to land, rebuild infrastructure, and restore economic stability.
“Mine action is incredibly important, because it underpins safety, livelihoods, access to infrastructure and economic opportunities,” said Massimo Diana, Director of the UNOPS Multi-Country Office for Ukraine, Moldova and Poland.
“By building the channels by which Ukrainian institutions can further develop their own mine action capacity, UNOPS, supported by the Royal Netherlands Government, will continue to back Ukraine’s path to recovery,” he added.
