How Ukraine can solve the problem of minefields: Zaluzhnyi explained
The minefields created by the Russians pose a serious threat not only to the military.
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Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valery Zaluzhnyi / Photo: Associated Press
Ukraine is asking the West for more engineering equipment for demining. The Ukrainian Armed Forces need special remote demining systems, similar to the American M58 Mine Clearing Line Charge (MICLIC).
This was reported by Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, in a column for “The Economist.”
According to him, at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, there was outdated and insufficient demining equipment. Even after the West began supplying tanks with mine rollers and other modern equipment, it was not enough for clearing Russian minefields, which sometimes stretch up to 20 kilometers.
"When demining is completed, Russian forces can quickly mine these territories again from the air," Zaluzhnyi noted.
In the General's opinion, modern technologies like radars that detect mines using invisible laser light pulses, water cannons, cluster munitions for mine clearance, and new types of excavators with plasma cutters could be of assistance in this regard.
What is known about the mining of Ukrainian territory by the Russians
In preparation for the counteroffensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Russian military mined many kilometers of captured territories. The dense minefields created by the Russian occupiers with a total length of 5 to 16 kilometers forced the Ukrainian military to change its counteroffensive strategy, according to soldiers of the Ukrainian army, as reported by the American publication Washington Post.
Instead of breaking through Russian defenses during the counteroffensive on BMPs and tanks, provided by Western countries, the Ukrainian military is advancing on foot.
To overcome minefields, the Ukrainian Armed Forces has Soviet demining systems UR-77 "Meteorit."
Finland has provided several modern tanks for demining, including Leopard 2R, and Germany has sent engineer armored vehicles, Wisent, designed for this purpose. In addition, Ukraine has received remote demining systems, such as the M58 Mine Clearing Line Charge.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has turned the country into the largest minefield in the world. The territory contaminated with explosive hazards covers 250,000 square kilometers, according to Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in an interview with Yohnap.
The Prime Minister noted that this situation complicates the movement of people and agricultural activities.
"Currently, Ukraine has the largest minefield in the world. This not only complicates the movement of people but also causes serious disruptions in agriculture, which is one of our main sectors," the Head of the Government said.
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