Economy ministry: Ukrainian mine clearance vehicles much cheaper than foreign analogues

The relevant statement was made by Ukrainian Economy Deputy Minister Ihor Bezkaravainyi in an interview with Ukrinform.

According to Bezkaravainyi, Ukraine already has its own developments: two certified vehicles used during humanitarian demining works. One more vehicle is under certification: a prototype was developed and completed the initial tests; the commission drew conclusions about certain defects and provided recommendations to producers regarding further development.

“These are completely different manufacturers. Importantly, they have different approaches. But, all these developments are viable; they are all very appropriate, relevant and necessary. And the main thing is the cost of products, which is much cheaper than the cost of machinery purchased for Ukraine abroad [foreign-made mine clearance vehicle cost from $500 thousand to $1 million – Ed.],” Bezkaravainyi told.

In his words, Ukraine counts on the further development of mine clearance vehicle and equipment manufacturers. Many domestic and international mine action operations are entering the market: 34 of them have already been certified, and several dozens of companies are undergoing certification procedures at the moment. The demand for equipment and expendable supplies for them will be growing, as the equipment tends to wear out and break, and mechanical mine clearance vehicles get destroyed in explosion.

“A vivid example of what we are waiting for is the assortment of personal protective equipment producers, making bulletproof vests, helmets, etc. As the Russian full-scale invasion started, it was mainly protective equipment for the military, such as plate carriers and various helmets for different tasks. Now, the producers’ range includes protective equipment for sappers during humanitarian demining works. This is evidence that the market will quickly adapt to the operators’ needs,” Bezkaravainyi explained.

Separately, the Ukrainian government official spoke of the certification prospects for mine clearance vehicles and the required technical regulations approved at the national level. Until recently, there was no such notion as ‘mechanical mine clearance vehicle’ in the Ukrainian legislation, as there was no need for such equipment.

“Accordingly, there were no technical regulations that would determine what such a vehicle should look like, how it should operate, what its survivability level should be, etc. As soon as we realized that there were already a large number of such vehicles in the country, and there will be even more, the need arose for such issues to be normalized. Therefore, we have developed a pilot regulation, a new technical regulation for the assessment of mine clearance vehicles imported to Ukraine. This regulation can also be used by domestic designers,” Bezkaravainyi noted.

The pilot regulation will be further developed. In two years, it will transform into a common technical regulation, which will be followed when producing and importing mine clearance vehicles in the future.

A reminder that about 25% of Ukrainian lands have been contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance, with the liberated areas remaining the most densely mined territory.