UN: Landmines Still Pose a Threat to Two Million Ukrainians

Around 2 million people – roughly the population of Slovenia – are exposed to the threat of landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) in eastern Ukraine on both sides of the “contact line”. Ukraine ranks fifth in the world for civilian casualties as a result of landmines and ERW, and in top three for antivehicle landmine accidents. That makes the east of Ukraine one of the most mine-contaminated regions in the world.

In 2020, people continued to fall victim to mines and ERW, with at least 70 civilians killed or injured in mine incidents. Since the beginning of the conflict in 2014, over 1,190 mine/ERW casualties* have been recorded in Ukraine. In 2020 alone, 55 civilians were injured and 15 killed by mines or ERW. These are, however, only the verified casualties, and the actual number is likely to be much higher.