A demonstration event hosted by UDS in Kyiv Oblast was attended by 72 representatives from key government agencies
The Humanitarian Demining Center, the Ministry of Defense's Countermine Action Center, the Main Directorate for Countermine Action, Civil Protection and Environmental Safety of the Ministry of Defense, the Department for Humanitarian Demining of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, the State Emergency Service Certification Center, the Interregional Humanitarian Demining Center of the State Emergency Service, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, and the Kyiv Regional Military Administration sent their representatives to learn about UDS's humanitarian demining processes in the village of Kozynci, Kyiv Oblast.
The familiarization event included a demonstration of the non-technical survey (NTS), technical survey (TS), destruction of explosive objects, сlearing the area of hostilities and demining using machines and mechanisms. UDS is conducting demining operations on an agricultural field of the of the Institute of Potato Growing (which is part of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences), which is likely contaminated with anti-personnel mines.
Currently, three UDS humanitarian demining teams are working on the site, using Bozena 5+ remotely controlled machines. UDS economic units have prepared detailed information on the cost calculations of demining processes, while the technical director's units have just completed the development of new methods for technical surveys and mechanized demining. The UDS team spent 5 hours familiarizing visitors with this information. The presentation included both a theoretical block and communication with demining teams and familiarization with their technical equipment.
"Exactly one year ago, at the government's call for the creation of a humanitarian demining market, UDS was established.Over the year, we have gained capabilities. Currently, the company employs 144 specialists, 112 of whom are sappers. We operate 7 robotic machines and work in the South, East, and Central Ukraine. The company already performs 7 demining processes: non-technical survey, technical survey, manual demining, machine and mechanized demining, clearance of combat areas, informing the population about the risks associated with mines and unexploded ordnance, and destruction of unexploded ordnance, and is now being certified for the eighth process - demining of water bodies. Our main focus is demining agricultural land. The market for demining agricultural land is just starting and it is very important that specialists who are launching this market have practical knowledge. That is why we sincerely share our practical experience with government agencies that coordinate our field. And I am very grateful for the opportunity for direct dialogue and open discussion of problematic issues," said Oleksandr Liiev, CEO of UDS.
"I am grateful to UDS for inviting our team to such a demonstration event. In many aspects, UDS is a benchmark and an example in the field of humanitarian demining," shared his impressions Volodymyr Baida, director of the Humanitarian Demining Center. "We are constantly improving national countermine action standards and involving experienced operators for this purpose, as they provide proposals that take into account our Ukrainian realities. This is how we use practical experience in standardization. Thank you to UDS for your constant participation," said Colonel Yevhen Zubarevsky, a representative of the Main Directorate for Countermine Action of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine.