DRC clears villages in Kyiv Oblast littered with explosive ordnance

“Are you collecting unexploded bombs? I have one in my garden! Could you remove that?” says a woman in Rozvazhiv village, where DRC arrived with the State Emergency Service (SES) of Ukraine to identify and collect Explosive Ordnance (EO).

“Local residents told us recently about two mortar shells and we had asked the State Emergency Services to support in disposing of them,” explains Pavlo, a Team Leader of the DRC deminers. “But you see, sometimes the national authorities may collect additional Explosive Remnants of War on the spot if the villagers have found more.” A number of international NGOs in Ukraine are accredited to find and identify the explosives but only national actors have the authority to dispose of them.

The garden in Rozvazhiv, revealed yet another 82 mm mortar shell. Luckily, it was not fused. “It seems simply forgotten there. Probably, this has been a base,” tells Oleksandr, Deputy Head of the SES Humanitarian Demining Unit in Kyiv Oblast.

Oleksandr explains how the villagers are the main source of information about the explosive ordnance left behind. "They inform DRC, local authorities or directly the SES and we then check the area. We have been working in this area since the beginning of April 2022. Firstly, we cleared populated areas, power lines and gas pipelines, and the like. We removed anti-vehicle and anti-personnel mines. There were also a lot of battle remnants such as grenades, artillery shells, tank shells, and so on."

DRC was among the first international humanitarian organisation in Ukraine to establish a formal partnership with the SES on Humanitarian Mine Action and Explosive Ordnance Disposal. This has been an important stepping stone that has enabled to further extension and scale up existing DRC support to deliver comprehensive and integrated activities. Under the agreement, DRC provides vital mine action equipment and technical support to SES, focusing on the clearance of battlefields and disposal of Explosive Remnants of War.

One projectile, 52 kg of explosives

It takes only about 30 minutes for the SES specialists to collect the marked mortar shells. Then, the teams move to another point — there is a projectile from the Russian Uragan multiple rocket launcher about which local residents informed DRC and now, leading the SES to collect it. One such projectile may contain 52 kilograms of explosives. Even when empty, it is so big that it takes four people to transport it to the van.

To raise awareness among the local community, and teach people safe behaviours and how to prevent accidents, DRC conducted Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) sessions in every village in this area. DRC provides free trainings for all interested in Ukrainian and Russian languages to ensure a solid outreach both within Ukraine, but also among those who plan to return (read more about EORE in Ukraine here).

“Last Spring, when the active fighting started, a man stepped on a tripwire in Zhereva, a village near Rozhvahiv. He went to help his neighbours and hit an antipersonnel mine. Luckily, this man survived. Another family tried to leave the village by car and hit an antivehicle landmine — a woman died in this accident. It is new for us to see explosive ordnance, but we must learn how to deal also with this threat. Local residents often find them and inform authorities about it. The EORE sessions are very useful — we learn how different types of explosive ordnance work and what we should do to stay safe,” says Valentyna, the head of Rozvazhiv village council.

“Every step is important”

After collecting an Uragan projectile, the teams drive to the forest, where DRC deminers currently conduct Battle Area Clearance. DRC deminers already found different explosive ordnance here - for example, projectiles, fuses, grenades, and propellant motors - and plan to hand them over to the SES for disposal.

In March 2022, in this forest that is adjacent to the Rozvazhiv village, a warehouse filled with ammunition exploded scattering debris and explosive ordnance across a radius of several hundred of metres. Previously, this area was partially checked by the SES, but only along the side of the roads that lead through the forest to fields. DRC deminers search for ERW in the forest as well to support SES efforts.

"It's difficult because battles took place here, and every step is important. In addition, there is this forest and we have to make our way through the thickets which may be filled with explosive ordnance," says Maksym, a DRC deminer who takes part in the clearance process.

Once cleared, the local community will be able to use this territory safely again, both for cultivating the nearby agricultural lands and collecting popular edible mushrooms in the forest. 
 
"This kind of support is vital. Some villages were littered with explosive ordnance. It may take years of clearing the territory before we can feel safe here," says Valentyna. 
 
Humanitarian Mine Action in Rozvazhiv district is possible thanks to funding from the European Union and the Swedish Agency for International Cooperation and Development. DRC improves the SES capacity in Humanitarian Mine Action thanks to the support of the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, as well as the German Federal Foreign Office.