Ukraine: Surveying hidden dangers

NTS is a crucial part of DRC's humanitarian mine action efforts to ensure Ukraine's territory is safe for its residents. Before demining teams can clear hazardous areas, an NTS must be conducted. During these surveys, experts engage with eyewitnesses, assess the area, and pinpoint specific locations on maps that require demining.

"From October 2023 to April 2024, a team of four non-technical survey specialists worked in Kherson Oblast, focusing on the Bilozersk Hromada, including the villages of Tavriivske and Nova Zoria," says Andrii, DRC's NTS Team Leader.

Andrii has been with DRC for nearly four years, starting his journey as a deminer in eastern Ukraine. However, after the Russian Federation launched its military offensive on February 24, 2022, the conflict escalated, prompting Andrii to relocate in search of safety.

"In autumn 2023, I switched to Non-Technical Survey and eventually became a Team Leader in DRC’s office in Mykolaiv," Andrii shares. In addition to his team, three other NTS groups are working in the south of Ukraine.

"Non-technical examination takes several steps. First, we obtain authorisation from the Mine Action Centre for a specific community, then monitor open sources about the area: local councils, recent events, and so on. Secondly, the team agrees on safe medical evacuation plans in case of an emergency. Only after these preliminary steps do we go into the field," Andrii explains.

When in a field

The team meets with community representatives, police, local authorities, and farmers, gathering crucial information to analyse and act upon. An informant—a farmer or a local resident—often guides them through safe roads and sites.

“If the safety situation permits, locals can show us exact locations where they saw unexploded ordnance. The surveyors then mark these spots on the map and record the coordinates to include in our reports,” Andrii explains.

Field visits are rigorous and require meticulous planning. As the team navigates through the potentially dangerous terrain, they rely on their expertise and special tools. “During surveys, we use various devices such as compasses, GPS systems, binoculars, rangefinders, and marking materials to document hazards and later submit the data to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.”

Field visits span several days, requiring multiple interventions to fully assess each area. The surveyors then spend even more time and diligence digitising the collected data.

From mild winters to hot summers

“NTS teams work all year round without a winter break, unlike deminers. In the south, the winter is very mild, so the weather does not affect our operations,” shares Andrii. “In summer, however, it gets very hot in the fields, but you quickly get used to it.”

He explains that working on flat terrain is generally easier. When examining a patch of land, surveyors use a rangefinder to mark its boundaries. “If there is any vegetation, we cannot physically mark the boundaries. In such cases, we have to look for other safe approaches to the site,” Andrii adds.

At sites in Kherson Oblast, Andrii’s team discovered four mortar shells, a fragmentation grenade, and a missile. When villages were beyond the control of the Ukrainian government, there were accidents in those areas, people suffered from unexploded ordnance.

With financial support from the European Union, over 184,000 square meters in Bilozersk Hromada have been identified as potentially contaminated. These areas, which include agricultural plots, are hoped to be cleared and safe for farming again. “Locals cultivated these patches, selling or storing the harvest for winter,” Andrii notes.

“Unfortunately, many people are unaware of the safe behaviour rules regarding ammunition. Many shells remain from World War II, and the current conflict has only added to the danger,” Andrii adds with concern in his voice.

To address this, DRC facilitators conduct offline and online sessions on explosive ordnance risk education (EORE), aiming to educate the population on safe behaviour. Alongside these efforts, active clearance processes are underway in Ukraine’s North, South, and East.