Ukrainian farmers killed by mines in the fields: the need for humanitarian demining

With the start of spring field work, Ukrainian farmers face a terrible risk of death due to mines. According to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), seven farmers were killed in March alone. This tragic statistic reflects the extremely serious problematic state of the situation.

According to the Head of the HRMMU, Daniel Belle, Ukrainian farmers face a significantly increased risk of death and injury due to mines and explosive remnants of war as they begin work in the fields this spring. This is especially true in the territories that were previously under occupation and have now been liberated.

It is noted that since the beginning of the full-scale armed conflict in February 2022, the HRMMU has recorded 1158 cases of civilian casualties, of which 360 people were killed and 798 injured by mines and explosive devices.

Recently, the number of such cases has increased sharply, particularly among farmers. In recent weeks alone, three agricultural workers have been killed and four others injured by mines and explosive devices in Kherson and Kharkiv regions.

This situation highlights the need for immediate measures to ensure the safety of civilians, including farmers. It is important to designate potentially dangerous areas and start humanitarian demining to avoid similar tragedies in the future.

Given the recent events, where a 36-year-old agricultural worker was killed and two others were injured as a result of occupant shelling, there is a need to strengthen security measures in the fields and respond to the threat posed by mines and explosive devices to civilians.

Accordingly, the government and the international community should intensify their actions to ensure the safety of citizens, in particular those at risk from mines and explosive devices. Urgent humanitarian demining efforts can save many lives and prevent further tragedies on Ukrainian soil.