AI, machines and human deminers lead Ukraine’s prolonged battle to clear vast minefields

In central Ukraine, near Myrotske, deminers advance in careful formation, sweeping metal detectors across ground that remains contaminated with mines and unexploded ordnance left behind after Russian occupation early in the invasion. The work reflects a broader national challenge: clearing land that remains dangerous years after active fighting has moved on. Alongside manual clearance teams, Ukraine’s demining effort now increasingly relies on drones, artificial intelligence and remote-controlled machinery to manage a task described as among the largest in the world.

A Country Defined by Contamination

UNDP said that Ukraine is now the most heavily mined country globally, with around 23 percent of its territory potentially affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance, according to a 2024 analysis. State-run Demine Ukraine estimates more than 1,32,000 square kilometres remain contaminated, while nearly 42,000 square kilometres have already been cleared.

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The scale carries both human and economic consequences, with clearance costs projected at about $34.6 billion and as many as 1,286 civilian victims recorded by August 2024. Olena Shustova of HALO Trust told Reuters, “Unfortunately, Ukraine is the most heavily mined country in the world,” adding, “Ukraine will not be demined in less than 10 years.” She also noted, “Everywhere where there was occupation, there are minefields and explosive ordnance.”

AI, Robotics and Deminers Combine in Ukraine’s Long Battle to Clear War Contamination Photograph: (AFP)

Drones, Data and Artificial Intelligence

Huge areas of ​Ukraine are littered with mines and other discarded ordnance after years of fighting. To accelerate progress, HALO Trust has expanded the use of UAVs to capture high-resolution aerial imagery of suspected minefields, helping identify surface-level threats such as trip wires, improvised explosive devices and fragmentation mines. The organisation also applies artificial intelligence to process drone data, with systems reaching around 70 percent accuracy in detecting explosive remnants. UNDP has noted that veterans affected by ordnance are being trained in drone operation and imagery analysis, highlighting a growing reliance on technical expertise. Shustova said, “The process may take decades, but advances in technology are helping to accelerate it.”

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Machines on the Front Line of Clearance

Using the newest technology and innovations speeds up the process. At a demining site north of Kyiv, Oleksandr Liatsevych operates a modified excavator remotely from a reinforced steel shelter, using virtual reality goggles and a joystick to guide its movements as it breaks down contaminated soil.

“The difference between driving from a cabin and driving a remote joystick is big,” he said, according to Reuters. Nearby, deminer Olha Kava continues manual clearance in full protective gear, searching for buried explosives by hand. “Of course, there is fear,” she said, adding that it “motivates you to do your job correctly and responsibly.” Together, human labour and machine assistance are reshaping how Ukraine approaches one of its most dangerous post-war tasks. Ukraine is advancing new technologies for mine clearance, but removing contamination across affected areas remains a complex and lengthy process.