On August 9, the Department announced its intention to provide $89 million of funding for fiscal year 2022 to help the government of Ukraine address the urgent humanitarian challenges posed by explosive remnants of war created by Russia’s brutal war of aggression. .
Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has covered large areas of the country with landmines, unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices. The grotesque use of improvised explosive devices the way we are seeing in Ukraine by Russian actors was previously only associated with ISIS in Syria. These explosive hazards block access to fertile land, delay reconstruction efforts, prevent displaced communities from returning to their homes, and continue to kill and maim innocent Ukrainian civilians. Ukraine’s government estimates that 160,000 square kilometers of its land may be contaminated – that’s roughly the size of Virginia, Maryland and Connecticut combined.
US funding will deploy approximately 100 demining teams and support a large-scale training and equipment project to strengthen the Ukrainian government’s Demining and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) capability.
Since 1993, the United States has invested more than $4.2 billion in the safe removal of landmines and explosive weapons of war (ERW), as well as the safety and safe disposal of excess small arms and light weapons (SA/LW) and ammunition in more than 100+ countries and territories. The United States is the world’s largest financial sponsor for the destruction of conventional weapons.
For more information, see the PM website or contact the Congressional Office of Political-Military Affairs and Public Affairs at pm-cpa@state.gov and follow us on Twitter @StateDeptPM.
