Almost a quarter of Ukraine’s territory — about 132,076 square kilometers — remains potentially hazardous due to mines and explosive remnants of war. This data was released by the international organization Handicap International — Humanity & Inclusion in a fact-finding report for March 2026. The document records an unprecedented level of contamination of Ukrainian lands, the consequences of which the population will feel for decades.
According to the Demining Ukraine platform, as of February 2026, more than 41,924 square kilometers have already been returned to safe use. A significant part of the territory remains inaccessible due to hostilities and occupation — this is about 18% of the country. The most affected areas are Kharkiv, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions — where the most intense battles and longest occupations took place.
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Density of contamination not seen in decades
Gary Tumbs, Head of Technical Operations for Clearance at HI, describes the peculiarity of the Ukrainian context as an extremely high density of contamination. Anti-tank mines are installed much closer to each other than one could normally expect, and anti-personnel mines are used in large quantities. There are increasingly frequent cases of mines being dropped from drones.
The uniqueness of the situation lies in the combination of old Soviet ammunition with modern systems that humanitarian deminers have not encountered before. The explosives in such ammunition do not decompose over time, so incidents with mines from World War II still occur throughout the country.
Russian use of mines
The Russian Federation, which is not a party to the Mine Ban Treaty, has been massively using anti-personnel mines since the start of the full-scale invasion — the report records at least 13 types of such ammunition. Factory markings indicate that some mines were manufactured during Soviet times, while others were produced in Russia, with some dating back to 2021.
Russian forces have also set up explosive traps with F1, RGD-5, and RGN grenades around their positions. Through social media posts in late 2023 and 2025, Russian military personnel confirmed the use of drones to drop mines — PFM-1, POM-2, PMN-4, as well as anti-tank PTM-3 and PTM-4. In June 2025, Human Rights Watch reported the dropping of ‘butterfly’ mines by drones directly onto the streets of Kherson — in the city center and in the Korabelny district.
Although Russia is not a participant in the Ottawa Convention, it remains a party to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons and its Protocol II, which regulates the use of mines. The report qualifies Russia’s actions as a clear violation of international law.
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Civilian casualties
Between February 2022 and February 2026, mines and explosive remnants of war killed 483 civilians and injured 1,196 people. Among the dead are 27 boys and 5 girls, among the injured — 106 boys and 25 girls. The real numbers may be significantly higher due to limited access to occupied territories. Globally, civilians account for up to 90% of all mine victims.
Mine-explosive trauma combines mechanical, thermal, and chemical damage. Shrapnel wounds occur in 95% of cases, barotrauma of internal organs — in 68%, burns — up to 64%, and head injuries — in 15-17%. The Ukrainian medical system is under serious pressure: since February 2022, the WHO has recorded at least 2,881 attacks on the healthcare system.
Front-line communities and children
About 3.5 million people live less than 50 kilometers from the front line, of which 3.1 million will need humanitarian assistance in 2026. More than 500,000 children attend schools in mine-hazardous areas, and every ninth mine victim is a child. 40% of incidents occur on school grounds or on the way to school.
DanChurchAid’s demining program coordinator, Ivan Kubrak, cites the example of Mykolaiv’s ‘Dubki’ park, where two minefields with 46 explosive devices were found — in a place where people walk and spend their free time.
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Agriculture and environment
Anti-personnel mines have become one of the most serious factors in the decline of Ukraine’s agricultural sector. Significant areas are unsuitable for cultivation, which reduces yields and incomes. Kharkiv and Kherson regions remain the most mined among the recently accessible territories. Russian forces have shown ingenuity in the use of explosive traps — according to reports, they have attached them to animal bodies and human remains, set up double and triple traps on roads and in fields.
Alexandra Kennett from the Danish Refugee Council describes the situation in the Oskil community in Kharkiv region, where even after emergency demining, families remained with contaminated gardens.
Mines are toxic to the environment: the fragmentation of explosives releases heavy metals into the soil, which enter the Dnister, Dnipro, and Seversky Donets rivers. About 44% of natural reserves — approximately 900 — are under occupation or in areas of active hostilities. About 30,000 square kilometers of forests have been affected by the war.
Economic dimension and demining organization
The total needs for recovery related to explosive hazard management are estimated at $27.6 billion over the decade 2026-2035 (Fifth Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment, RDNA5).
Demining in Ukraine is coordinated by the state through the Ministry of Economy, UANMAC under the Ministry of Defense, and the State Emergency Service, with the participation of international operators and non-governmental organizations. Yuriy Sereda from FSD (Fondation suisse de déminage) explains that it is impossible to predict the timing of the complete clearance of the territory: the front line is moving, and humanitarian operators cannot work closer than 20 kilometers from it. A serious obstacle remains the constant presence of Russian reconnaissance drones, which are often followed by kamikaze and missile strikes.
The National Strategy for Mine Action for 2024-2033 provides for the clearance of up to 80% of recently accessible territories within ten years.
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