UDS wins tender to clear 606 hectares of high-value agricultural land in Chornobaivka community

UDS has won a tender to conduct mine action activities on 606 hectares of agricultural land in the Chornobaivka community of Kherson Oblast.

The land belongs to the State Land Bank of Ukraine and consists of highly fertile soils that represent a strategic resource for both the local community and the country. As a result of the temporary occupation and active hostilities in 2022–2023, the area has been contaminated with explosive remnants of war (ERW).

Based on the results of a Non-Technical Survey (NTS), 100% of the area has been validated and recorded in the IMSMA database of the Mine Action Centre as a Suspected Hazardous Area (SHA).

The identified threats include:

1. AO-2.5RT cluster munition submunitions;
2. 30 mm artillery ammunition;
3. F-1 hand grenades;
4. 9N235 cluster munition submunitions;
5. AR-5 fuzes;
6. 125 mm HE-FRAG tank projectiles;
7. 9M133 Kornet anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs);
8. S-5KO unguided aircraft rockets and other explosive ordnance (EO).

Numerous military engineering structures were also identified across the surveyed areas, including trenches, dugouts and revetments, as well as extensive evidence of hostilities, such as artillery impact craters of various calibres.

The project will begin with a Technical Survey (TS), followed by clearance operations using mechanical demining assets and specialized equipment. Work is scheduled to commence next month. As a first step, the UDS Mechanical Demining Department will carry out vegetation reduction and ground preparation activities.

“The land has not been cultivated for more than four years and is therefore heavily overgrown. Entering such areas without prior ground preparation is significantly more challenging. Our department will first conduct preparatory activities, after which we will proceed with the technical survey and clearance of the area,” said Eduard Drach, Technical Director of UDS.

UDS has signed two cooperation memorandums in the field of agricultural land clearance with the Chornobaivka Rural Military Administration of Kherson District and the State Land Bank LLC.

The memorandums provide for the implementation of Non-Technical Surveys (NTS), the clearance of agricultural land, and joint efforts to attract donor funding for relevant mine action activities.

Bringing war-affected land back to life.