UDS has begun demining part of the Zadvyzh River in Kyiv Oblast

This is the first official project in Ukraine on the humanitarian demining of water areas carried out by a mine action operator.

In 2022, at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the village of Nova Hreblia was occupied by enemy forces. Even after its liberation, traces of those devastating days remain: houses destroyed to the ground, shattered windows, and bullet marks on building facades. The river and its coastal zone still pose a danger.

Under the directive of the Mine Action Center, our diver-sappers have started demining the water area and the coastal strip of the Zdvizh River in Bucha district, Borodianka community.

The work includes technical survey, using the method of battle area clearance of the coastal strip, as well as demining part of the Zdvizh River water area in accordance with approved SOPs and national standards of the DSTU 8820 series.

The underwater demining method involves diver search using the “one diver – one lane” approach.

“Alongside the divers, an underwater drone is also operating, which speeds up the survey. The water is currently cold, but visibility is quite good—up to 2 meters. This significantly facilitates our work,” said Dive Supervisor Ihor Ovcharuk.

Based on the results of the non-technical survey, potential threats have been identified: unexploded ordnance (Category II), abandoned explosive ordnance (Category I), and cluster submunitions such as 9N210/9N235. Contamination affects both the coastal strip and the water area.

“According to the State Emergency Service and the State Special Transport Service, Nova Hreblia was under constant MLRS rocket fire. In the section of the Zdvizh River where we have started work, there is a bridge and a dam that could have been strategically mined, as enemy vehicles used this crossing,” said Head of Diving Operations and UDS Technical Director Eduard Drach.

Seven specialists are involved in the operations: Head of Diving Operations, Dive Supervisor, four diver-sappers, and a medic responsible for medical support of diving activities.

The work is being carried out as part of cooperation between UDS and the State Agency of Water Resources of Ukraine.

It should be recalled that on May 2, 2025, UDS and the State Water Agency signed a memorandum of cooperation on humanitarian demining of water bodies and coastal areas. This joint initiative aims not only to detect and neutralize hazardous items, but also to restore safe access to rivers, lakes, and reservoirs, especially in war-affected regions.