Ukraine: Surviving the unseen threat — the lasting impact of landmines

At first glance, life in Kyiv seems almost normal. Inside a bustling shopping mall with towering glass windows and a skyline of high-rise buildings, people sip coffee, browse stores, and go about their daily routines. The war feels distant, but a piercing siren could shatter the illusion at any moment announcing a possible missile or drone attack. Within minutes, the shopping mall would close, and visitors would be urged to seek shelter.

It is here, in the mall’s food court, that we meet 34-year-old Serhii—a man whose life was forever changed by a single explosion. A landmine in the Kyiv Oblast tore apart his world, claiming his wife’s life and leaving him with devastating injuries. After more than ten surgeries and years of painful rehabilitation, which cost nearly half a million hryvnias (€11,500), Serhii has fought his way back. His face still bears the scars, his body reminds him of the trauma, but he is here—ready to share his story.

Escaping the occupation

Serhii works for a company that manufactures lifts. He even helped install one in the shopping mall where we were sitting.

“Although to be fair, this kind of work is more of an exception for me—I usually work in an office, ordering spare parts and negotiating with clients,” he explains.

Now, he can speak and walk freely, but this is the result of years of painstaking rehabilitation and agonising procedures. The scars on his face, his impaired vision, and his damaged teeth all serve as permanent reminders of his ordeal. A piece of shrapnel from the mine that their Volkswagen struck hit him directly in the jaw. Doctors had to reconstruct it with titanium prostheses, along with his palate and nose. He lost an eye in the explosion, and while he could barely see at first, medical treatment helped restore some of his vision.

Serhii is now living with a disability. He shows us a photo of what remained of his car—a crumpled, rusted heap of scrap metal. It seems nothing short of a miracle that he and his son survived.

“My family and I left Kyiv for Rozvazhiv, where my grandparents live. When the full-scale invasion broke out, we thought it would be safer there. But the day after we arrived, the village came under heavy shelling. We saw how cluster munitions exploded in the sky, scattering deadly fragments,” he recalls.

During those months, Russian forces temporarily occupied settlements across the Kyiv Oblast, making escape incredibly difficult. However, people still found ways to flee. Friends who had managed to reach western Ukraine shared information about relatively safe routes. Serhii and his wife decided to take one of them—but they drove over a mine. It detonated on his wife’s side, killing her instantly.

“I was badly burned. My sister and her husband were driving behind us, and they later told me that I somehow managed to crawl out of the car. I was taken to the nearest hospital, but they couldn’t treat me, so I had to get to Kyiv. The bridges leading into the city had already been blown up, so I think I was ferried across the river by boat. I only remember water splashing on my face,” Serhii adds.

Thankfully, Serhii’s nine-year-old son emerged unscathed. Serhii, however, suffered severe burns, a broken arm, and a shrapnel injury that devastated his head. He endured multiple surgeries to rebuild his body. Extensive scarring limited his mobility, and months of lying in bed led to severe muscle atrophy. He had to relearn how to walk, relying on walls for support.

Today, vast areas of Ukraine remain contaminated with explosive remnants of war. Despite ongoing demining efforts, the conflict and constant shelling continue, further increasing the danger. Yet life does not stand still—people, fully aware of the risks, still travel through roads and former battlefields, exposing themselves to deadly hazards. Others fall victim to fresh attacks.

According to the UN, a humanitarian needs assessment conducted in the third quarter of 2024 revealed that 5.4 million people require Mine Action assistance. The most affected oblasts—Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Odesa—account for more than half of those in need. Areas near the front line remain heavily contaminated.

This contamination is disrupting agriculture, the backbone of Ukraine’s rural economy. Preliminary estimates indicate that approximately 3,000 square kilometres of farmland—equivalent to 28 times the size of Paris—remain uncultivated across the country due to landmines and other war-related hazards.

The urgent need for demining is critical, but the process takes time. DRC cleared contaminated areas in Rozvazhiv and continues demining nearby villages while educating locals about the risks of explosive remnants.

Healing amid bureaucracy and financial strain

From 24 February 2022 to December 2024, the war in Ukraine has taken a devastating toll on civilians, with 40,838 casualties, including 12,456 killed. The vast majority of these tragedies were caused by explosive weapons with wide-area effects.

Meanwhile, landmines and explosive remnants of war continue to pose a deadly threat, claiming 1,379 victims. The high number of casualties highlights the urgent need for humanitarian assistance, mine clearance, and protection measures to prevent further loss of life. The long-term effects on survivors, especially those who require medical treatment and rehabilitation, remain a critical challenge.

The consequences of Serhii’s accident in 2022 have taken years to heal—for a long time after the incident, he was unable to work. In these conditions, he had to find money for complex and expensive treatment. While some surgeries in Ukraine are partially funded by the state, patients are often required to pay out-of-pocket for materials and specific medications. Initially, funds were raised through donations, while charities and government programmes covered some of the costs.

“I’m still dealing with the aftermath of my burns. A charity covers my scar treatment, but my shattered jaw has left me with ongoing dental issues. I need multiple implants before I can get permanent crowns,” says Serhii.

The cost of prosthetics alone is around UAH 80,000 (€1,850), which the DRC covered thanks to the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund support and in cooperation with the Right to Protection Charitable Foundation. In the future, he will need to pay separately for his crowns. He has applied for additional state assistance, but his request has been pending for six months.

The main issue with government support is the extensive bureaucracy and long waiting times. For survivors, time is health. When help is delayed, they are often forced to pay out of their own pockets or rely on charities.

“What can we do? Life goes on,” Serhii says. Despite the horrors he has endured, he is gradually returning to normality—working in his office and going to the gym. Exercise has become an essential part of his recovery.

“At first, I would wear oversized clothes to hide my injuries and started training little by little. Month after month, I’ve regained my strength. Now, I’m lifting even more weight than I did before the explosion,” he says with a broad, satisfied smile.

It is difficult to tell what brings him the most joy—his physical strength, the ability to do sports despite his injuries, or simply being able to speak about his experience thanks to the surgeries that reconstructed his face. His optimism is astonishing, and the results of the complex treatment underline the importance of comprehensive support needed for those affected by explosive ordnance in Ukraine.