US supporting battle area clearance in Ukraine – report

“From 2004 to 2020, the United States provided more than $68 million for small arms and light weapons and ammunition destruction, as well as battle area clearance in Ukraine,” reads the report of the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.

As noted, Ukraine continues to address the legacy of the massive quantities of conventional arms and ammunition it inherited after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Most of these munitions are excess, aging, potentially unstable, and no longer suitable for use. They represent a significant security and proliferation threat domestically, regionally, and globally.

In addition, eastern Ukraine now suffers from extensive landmine and unexploded ordnance contamination due to the armed conflict with Russia. These explosive hazards pose a major threat to thousands of Ukrainians living in the conflict area, the report reads.

In 2020, the U.S. Department of State supported a number of partners working in Ukraine: HALO Trust, Danish Demining Group, Swiss Foundation for Mine Action, OSCE.

In general, the United States has provided more than $4 billion to support humanitarian mine action, physical security and stockpile management, and associated activities in over 100 countries since 1993.

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