Ukraine is littered with landmines on a scale last seen in Vietnam. How can they be removed?

The Guardian UK Wednesday 14 October 2026, 04:00 UTC By Amy Hawkins in Kharkiv region. Photographs by Julia Kochetova 1 min read

Key Points

Faced with deadlier threats, demining groups are coming up with new ways of working using drones and AICrouched over on her hands and knees in a field of weeds, Olena Kabanova is digging into the ground. With a shovel and a steady hand, the 58-year-old digs out a neat square around the spot where a mine detector has sensed a suspicious object. Four years ago, this field in eastern Ukraine was occupied by Russian soldiers.

Faced with deadlier threats, demining groups are coming up with new ways of working using drones and AI

Crouched over on her hands and knees in a field of weeds, Olena Kabanova is digging into the ground. With a shovel and a steady hand, the 58-year-old digs out a neat square around the spot where a mine detector has sensed a suspicious object.

Four years ago, this field in eastern Ukraine was occupied by Russian soldiers. Now back under Ukrainian control, it is littered with landmines. Civilians such as Kabanova are trying to make the land usable again.

Ukraine (LOCATION) Vietnam (LOCATION) AICrouched (ORG) Olena Kabanova (PERSON) Russian (ORG) Ukrainian (ORG) Kabanova (PERSON)

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Ukraine is littered with landmines on a scale last seen in Vietnam. How can they be removed?

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