Italy allocates €1.5 million for humanitarian demining in Ukraine

Ukraine has signed an agreement with Italy and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for €1.5 million to support humanitarian demining initiatives.

This was reported by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine.

The agreement aims to strengthen the Mine Action Program for Ukraine, which is essential for the countryʼs recovery and reconstruction.

First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine — Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko noted that the concluded agreement is important for the implementation of the National Mine Action Strategy, as it will allow for the implementation of projects to clear agricultural lands, develop infrastructure, restore economic activity in the deoccupied territories, and facilitate the return of citizens to their homes.

This funding will expand land clearance operations, improve information management systems, and support specialized training programs for people with disabilities, veterans, and survivors of explosive ordnance.

Demining Ukraine

According to the United Nations Development Program estimates, in 2023, demining work in Ukraine will cost $35.7 million. According to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, almost 174 thousand km² of Ukraine is littered with explosives, and the countryʼs mined fertile lands could feed 80 million people. In the period 2022-2027, the amount of commitments from Ukraineʼs partner countries exceeds $850 million — this is money allocated for projects in the field of humanitarian demining.

Earlier, the chief officer of the State Emergency Service Oleksandr Khorunzhy stated that it would take up to 10 years to demine the entire territory of Ukraine — these are the approximate calculations of sappers.

As of January this year, since the start of the full-scale invasion, sappers have surveyed, demined, or cleared 35 000 km² of Ukrainian land. This is more than the Odessa region, which is the largest in Ukraine.

As of March 2025, 139 000 km² (23%) of Ukraineʼs territory remained potentially mined. In September 2023, this figure reached 30%.

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