On September 30, the Department awarded $47.6 million to Tetra Tech, Inc. of Pasadena, California to provide emergency humanitarian demining assistance to Ukraine in the face of Russia’s brutal war of aggression. Under the terms of the project, Tetra Tech will strengthen the Government of Ukraine’s capacity to locate and remove landmines, unexploded and abandoned munitions, improvised explosive devices and other explosive hazards from civilian areas.
Tetra Tech will train Ukraine’s government demining and EOD teams to international standards and provide them with the necessary tools to do their jobs. The project also supports the deployment of additional explosive ordnance clearance and education teams through the local non-governmental organization Ukrainian Deminers Association.
This project is part of the $91.5 million in demining assistance that the Department will provide over the coming year to help the Government of Ukraine address the urgent humanitarian challenges posed by explosive remnants of war created by Russia’s brutal actions.
Russia’s illegal war and full-scale invasion of Ukraine has inundated vast swathes of the country with landmines, unexploded ordnance and improvised explosive devices. These explosive hazards block access to agricultural land, impede reconstruction efforts, prevent displaced people from returning to their homes, and continue to kill and maim innocent Ukrainian civilians. The government of Ukraine estimates that 160,000 square kilometers of the country may be contaminated – this is about the size of Virginia, Maryland and Connecticut combined.
Since 1993, the United States has invested more than $4.7 billion for the safe clearance of landmines and explosive weapons of war, as well as the securing and safe disposal of surplus small arms and light weapons and ammunition in more than 100 countries and territories. The United States is the world’s largest financial supporter of the destruction of conventional weapons.
For more information, see the PM website, or contact the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, at pm-cpa@state.gov, and follow us on Twitter @StateDeptPM.
