Explosives can travel with the flood water for kilometers and end up lying in a field, on the road or in a home garden.
In southern Ukraine, after the destruction of the Kahovka dam, the floodwater that spread has also invaded mined areas.
For example, during the war, a large number of mines were laid on the banks of the Inhulets river in the Mykolajiv region, which are now covered by floodwater.
This has hindered the work of deminers.
The flooding water has also carried mines and other explosives with it, so no one can know where they are everywhere. In addition to well-known minefields, they can be found in fields, along waterways, along paths and in the gardens of private homes.
Both the Ukrainian authorities and the occupying authorities of the territories conquered by Russia have warned of the danger of mines.
The UN and the Red Cross have also issued their own warnings. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reminds us that mines pose a danger to civilians that can continue for decades.
– We knew where the danger was, but we don’t know anymore. Depending on the shape and manufacturing material, mines can float with the current for up to kilometers, ICRC expert warns Erik Tollefsen.
When the water sometimes goes down, the danger gets worse
Tollefsen, who is the head of the ICRC’s weapons pollution expert unit, reminds us that mines planted in the 1940s and left under water can still be operational.
Because of this, the mine danger in Ukraine does not disappear even when the flood water sometimes recedes.
– When the water recedes, the risk worsens because the debris can cover the mines. They cannot be seen. This is why we are very concerned about the situation, says Tollefsen.
During the war, a huge number of mines and other explosives have been planted in Ukraine, but even experts cannot estimate the exact amounts.
– We only know that the amount is huge, Tollefsen states.
However, according to him, the biggest problem is not the large number of explosives, but the areas where they are. Ukraine is a major agricultural area, with explosive traps now hidden in the fields.
Continued Ukraine monitoring in this article.
Sources: Reuters, AFP