In 2024, 14 tasks under the Operational Plan for implementing the National Mine Action Strategy were fully completed. An additional 43 tasks are continuously underway and will only be considered complete by the end of 2026. These results were reported by Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Economy, Ihor Bezkaravainy, during the meeting of the National Authority on Mine Action.
“We have collectively accomplished a significant amount of work over the past year, and this was made possible through the joint efforts of the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Defense, the State Emergency Service, and other stakeholders identified in the Plan. However, it is also important that we analyze which provisions of the National Strategy and the Operational Plan require updating and adjustment, and we will soon prepare the relevant amendments to these documents,” said Ihor Bezkaravainy.
Members of the National Authority also discussed the use of innovative technologies in mine action. In particular, a decision was made that the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Defense should jointly propose initiatives to expand opportunities for testing new developments, as well as prepare the legal framework for the introduction of innovations into operation.
During the meeting, reports were heard on the status of the 2025 humanitarian demining plan, the creation of an international innovation platform, and the update of the economic activity code for “Mine Action.”
The National Mine Action Strategy for the period up to 2033, along with the Operational Plan for its implementation for 2024–2026, was approved by the government in June 2024. These documents serve as a roadmap for mine action for all stakeholders. The adoption of the Mine Action Strategy is also one of the indicators of the Ukraine Facility, the European Union’s financial support program for Ukraine.
The National Authority on Mine Action was established to coordinate the activities of ministries, other governmental and local authorities, enterprises, and organizations involved in mine action.