According to a recent estimate by the Ukrainian government and Halo, about 40% of Ukraine needs to be surveyed for landmines. It is an area of 250,000 km², which corresponds to the surface of the United Kingdom. “We’re definitely talking about hundreds of thousands and possibly millions of landmines in Ukraine,” Cowan says.
When asked how long it will take for all of Ukraine to be mine-free, the former general says he doesn’t know. “We have an empirical rule: a day of fighting equals a month of freedom. More than a year has passed and the war is not over yet. We do not know.’
“A day of struggle equals a month of freedom”
The consequences
“If you live in an area with mining, you can’t just go home and you can’t just go to work.” You can’t sow, you can’t reap. Ukraine says 25 to 40 percent of agricultural fields will go unsown this spring. If it doesn’t, it’s a huge area. We are talking about one of the largest cereal producers in Europe. If this country does not produce its crops, sunflowers and wheat, it cannot feed the world. This is not only a tragedy for Ukraine, but for the whole world.’
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Beg
“Ukraine needs an incredible amount of support. To get rid of all this war debris, governments, businesses and donors around the world must work together. This is my calling.’
Read the full article in the FD here