Twenty civilians killed, 56 injured due to mines, UXO over one-and-a-half years in eastern Ukraine

“During the reporting period, the Mission corroborated 76 civilian casualties (20 killed and 56 injured) due to mines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), and other explosive objects. Over 85 percent of those injured or killed were men (56) and boys (9); the remainder was comprised of ten women and one girl,” reads the OSCE thematic report.

In Donetsk region, there were 31 civilian casualties due to these objects, of which 12 were registered in government-controlled areas and 19 in non-government-controlled areas. Forty-five casualties occurred in Luhansk region, where nine were registered in government-controlled areas and 36 in non-government-controlled areas.

More than half of the casualties (44, 18 killed and 26 injured) were incidents where civilians mishandled or attempted to dismantle UXO or grenades. As highlighted by the SMM, civilians handle these objects to obtain scrap metal to sell, or to make souvenirs or out of curiosity.

According to the report, Ukraine remains one of the world countries most contaminated by landmines. During the reporting period, the Mission spotted nearly 20,000 mines on both sides of the contact line (of which about 1,600 were observed for the first time).

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