The “Unsung Heroes” of United Help Ukraine are Equipping Ukraine’s Children with Life-Saving Mine Awareness and Safety Skills in the Wake of the War’s Destruction
As part of our “Unsung Heroes” blog series, we turn our attention to United Help Ukraine’s “Little Heroes: Development of Children’s Health and Safety Skills” project, created in partnership with ГО «Активне Суспільство України». This initiative provides a safe space for children affected by the war, focusing on mental health through creative activities like drawing and sculpting, while also teaching essential mine awareness and safety skills. Before we dive into the people and work behind this effort, it’s important to understand the scale of the landmine crisis in Ukraine and why the lessons taught through the “Little Heroes” project is crucial for keeping children safe.
Imagine This: Daily Life Amidst the Silent Threat of Landmines
Imagine walking your children to school on a crisp, sunny morning. The route is familiar, the streets lined with trees, and your children laugh carefree. Now imagine that each step you take, each turn down a familiar road, carries with it the threat of stepping on a landmine. Imagine that what looks like a simple patch of grass or a toy lying in the street could explode, turning a routine walk into a life-threatening journey.
This is the reality for millions of Ukrainians every day.
In many regions of Ukraine, where the war has left behind hidden dangers, people must navigate this new normal. Simple, everyday activities—playing in the backyard, farming a field, or driving to work—can be perilous. Some families no longer allow children to play freely, roads remain untraveled, and farmers abandon their fields for fear of triggering a deadly explosion.
Consider the report by UN News of a young boy in the Kharkiv region who, like many children, saw what he thought was a toy lying in the field. It wasn’t a toy—it was a butterfly-shaped landmine. Tragically, stories like this are not uncommon. Children, who should be learning and playing, are forced to confront the realities of war in the most terrifying way possible (AOL News) (UN News).
Farmers, the backbone of Ukraine’s agricultural economy, also face unimaginable challenges. In regions previously occupied by Russian forces, vast farmlands are littered with unexploded ordnance and anti-tank mines. Reuters reported on a farmer in Mykolaiv who was killed when his tractor drove over a hidden mine in his field—a place he had worked for years without fear. Now, his community and others like it face the impossible choice of risking their lives or abandoning their crops (Reuters).
Even something as routine as driving to work becomes a game of chance. Anti-tank mines, designed to destroy military vehicles, pose a deadly threat to civilian cars. In many areas, unpaved roads—once quiet paths between villages—are avoided at all costs. Drivers fear that the next bump they hit could be their last.
The Emotional and Physical Toll
Imagine how it feels to live with this constant threat—a fear that grips your chest every time you step outside. A mother watches her children with anxiety as they walk to school, terrified they might step off the path. A father works the land, his mind racing with thoughts of the dangers buried beneath his feet. In liberated towns, returning to normal life feels impossible because of the mines that lurk unseen.
Now, consider a different kind of existence—one where you don’t think twice about walking through a field or letting your children play freely. For many of us, this is our reality. For many of the people of Ukraine, it is a distant memory.
This is the harsh contrast that millions face in Ukraine today. Hidden killers lie underfoot, waiting for the slightest misstep. But while the fear is pervasive, so too is the resilience of those determined to rebuild their lives and communities.
Organizations like United Help Ukraine are stepping up to provide life-saving mine awareness training, empowering families and particularly children to recognize and avoid danger.
The Extent of Ukraine’s Landmine Crisis
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the country has become one of the most heavily mine-contaminated regions in the world. Landmines and unexploded ordnance (explosive weapons that have not detonated and still pose a risk of detonation) remain a significant, ongoing threat to civilians, particularly in liberated areas. Many of Ukraine’s minefields are concentrated in the east and south near the lines of intense conflict. These areas are packed with both anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines, posing daily risks to civilians.
The types of mines being used in Ukraine are varied, including modern designs like the POM-3. Equipped with sensors, this mine is designed to detonate when someone approaches, making it harder to detect, disarm, and remove after fighting has ceased. Roughly the size of a soda can, the POM-3 is typically launched by a rocket and descends by parachute before embedding a small probe into the ground. Once the probe detects nearby movement, the mine triggers an explosive that detonates midair, scattering deadly metal fragments (Reuters).
The United Nations, through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), plays a key role in supporting Ukraine’s demining efforts, with most of the operations funded by Western countries. One of the major organizations involved in these efforts is The HALO Trust, a humanitarian nonprofit known for its work in clearing landmines globally. Despite the significant demining efforts of humanitarian organizations, the challenge remains monumental. According to Human Rights Watch, eleven of Ukraine’s 27 regions and nearly one-third of Ukraine’s territory are contaminated by landmines, creating an immense humanitarian crisis that affects millions of people. According to the UNDP, over half a million explosive devices have been removed, but there’s still a long way to go. Reports suggest the full demining effort will likely take decades to complete (UN News).
The human toll of the mine crisis is staggering. In 2023, UN News reported over 550 incidents involving mines, leading to 855 civilian casualties (UN News). Most of these victims are children, farmers, or people returning to homes in recently liberated areas. One of the major obstacles civilians face is a lack of awareness about the presence of mines, which is why educational programs have been implemented across Ukraine to teach people how to stay safe.
The Ongoing Fight for Safety and Awareness
The mine crisis in Ukraine is a deadly legacy of the ongoing war, threatening civilian lives and the country’s economic recovery. It’s essential for the international community to remain vigilant and continue to support Ukraine through funding, expertise, and public awareness campaigns to mitigate the danger posed by these hidden killers. Ukraine’s battle against landmines is not only about clearing explosives but also about educating its population, particularly children, to navigate the daily dangers.
United Help Ukraine (UHU) has stepped up with its Mine Awareness project, focusing on educating Ukrainians—especially children—about the risks of landmines and unexploded ordnance. UHU’s efforts emphasize safety through education, teaching young people how to recognize dangerous objects and stay safe in their communities. Shown below is an example of the content shared during UHU’s mine awareness classes for children.
Keep an eye out for our next blog that will highlight life-saving efforts of mine awareness and safety.
To learn more about the reality of Ukraine’s landmine crisis, we recommend following this link to check out a recent segment on 60 Minutes: “Deadly landmines plague Ukraine after Russia’s invasion | 60 Minutes.”
Sources:
Doyle, Gerry, Han Huang, and Jackie Gu. “What Lies Beneath: Land Mines Left by Russian Forces in Ukraine Pose a Deadly Threat to Kyiv’s Military – and Civilians in Liberated Territory.” Reuters, 28 July 2023, https://www.reuters.com/graphics/UKRAINE-CRISIS/LANDMINES/myvmgnqbavr/.
Tsirkin, Julie, et al. “Two Years after Russian Invasion, Landmines Plague One-Third of Ukraine.” NBC News, 11 Sept. 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/two-years-russian-invasion-landmines-plague-one-third-ukraine-rcna138517.
Tsirkin, Julie, et al. “Two Years after Russian Invasion, Landmines Plague One-Third of Ukraine.” AOL News, updated 20 Feb. 2024, https://www.aol.com/news/two-years-russian-invasion-landmines-110000269.html.
“Demining Ukraine: Bringing Lifesaving Expertise Back Home.” UN News, 8 July 2023, https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/07/1138477.
“Landmine Use in Ukraine.” Human Rights Watch, 13 June 2023, https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/06/13/landmine-use-ukraine.
How You Can Help
Your support can make a difference!
Please consider contributing to United Help Ukraine, dedicated to providing critical support to the people of Ukraine, enabling them to survive, defend their sovereignty, and rebuild for a better future. Learn more about United Help Ukraine here: https://unitedhelpukraine.org/
