Ukraine Government Draft Bill on Landmine and UXO Clearance

Kiev, Ukraine The Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, approved the first draft of a law on UXO and landmine clearance. The Bill which was approved by 240 lawmakers, is designed to provide a legal basis for demining and UXO clearance activities, included those actions carried out by humanitarian demining organizations.

The bill reads in part, "Although Russia's war against Ukraine has been going on for nearly five years, the lack of a legal framework still prevents the systematic landmine clearance in embattled areas along the 400-kilometer frontline."

The Bill estimates that approximately 22,000 square kilometers of controlled and uncontrolled territories are contaminated with landmines and/or UXO with the border between Russian-occupied Crimea also mined.

The draft bill aims to develop a universal national database of UXO and detonation incidents and obligates the Cabinet of Ministers to organize a special national agency that is meant to control and coordinate all minesweeping activities in the country. The Bill also issues accreditations valid for up to 5 years to mine clearance operators willing to work in Donbas.