Since the war began with the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, it has become the most mined country on earth, surpassing Afghanistan and Syria.
Landmines are now present in 11 of Ukraine’s 27 regions—Chernihivska, Dnipropetrovska, Donetska, Kharkivska, Khersonska, Kyivska, Luhanska, Mykolaivska, Odeska, Sumska, and Zaporizka.
Ukrainian armed forces, separatist groups, and the Russian Army have used landmines extensively as tactical weapons, exploiting their ability to disrupt enemy movements, halt penetrations, and inflict casualties.
Ukriane’s Landmine Disaster
At least two million mines have been laid in the country, and it is estimated that about 40 percent of the country is mined. The minefields have taken a toll on civilians as well as soldiers, with about 1,000 civilian casualties, including 261 dead. This number includes 64 children with 14 fatalities.
Russian minefields have taken a toll on Ukrainian farmers, limiting the amount of arable land and forest workers.
If a ceasefire or peace agreement is reached, the clean-up will take years and cost billions of dollars.
Russian Military Following Their Doctrine
Russian doctrine emphasizes the attrition of enemy forces rather than mobility, and landmines are a vital component. As with old Soviet concepts, the defense was intended to funnel and channel Ukrainian forces into Fire Sacks (kill zones), where indirect fires could be massed and applied along with combined arms assaults to counter efforts to advance and inflict losses.
Russian forces initially followed their doctrine and created minefields with a width and depth of 100-200 meters. However, over time, Russian forces have expanded the size of minefields to 500 meters or more and, in some cases, have increased their density.
Most of these more extensive minefields are located along the principal axes of advance. During one attack, when the Ukrainian army attacked south of Mala Tokmachka, 40 miles west of Rivnopil, the minefields were so thick and dense that two Ukrainian units were forced to abandon two dozen of their best vehicles.
These included German-made Leopard 2A6 tanks, Leopard 2R mine-clearers from Finland, and ex-American M-2 fighting vehicles.
Last night (May 22), I spoke with a senior retired US Army officer about the war in Ukraine, and his comments spoke to the direness of the situation there.
“If you’re wrapped in steel, right now, you’re dead,” he said, because of the massive amount of drones and anti-tank missiles that are everywhere. This would explain why the Ukrainian forces were quick to abandon the vehicles.
Clearing and Breaching Minefields Is Time-Consuming
Ukraine is critically short of mine-clearing vehicles, and NATO has donated additional breaching systems to Ukraine. Even with these breaching assets, a 500-meter minefield would take approximately 1.5 hours or more to breach. But in many cases, the Ukrainians have been forced to clear minefields by hand using sappers, which further slows progress.
Additionally, most of these minefields are combined with other obstacles like tank ditches and dragon teeth, making the operation even more challenging and time-consuming.
Russian drone surveillance makes Ukrainian breaching elements vulnerable to detection and subject to Russian artillery fire. Ukraine’s inability to breach Russian minefields stalled its 2023 counteroffensive. In three months, the Ukrainians only advanced approximately 16 kilometers along their three principal axes of advance.
One way that Ukraine is trying to alleviate the threat is by getting better UAS capabilities, thereby holding off Russian drones to give the engineers more time to clear the minefields.
What Will It Take to Clean Up These Minefields Once the War Ends?
Time and money, and lots of both. According to the Ukrainian government, almost six million Ukrainians live in territories at risk of mine-related incidents.
Russian troops have deployed mines on Ukrainian farmland, and both the Russian and Ukrainian military have scattered them in the littoral waters. This prevents agricultural work and hinders the export of Ukrainian goods, which, in turn, worsens the already weakened Ukrainian economy.
One unintentional factor in creating danger inside Ukraine is the massive amount of unexploded ordnance. Some estimates predict that as much as 20 percent of the millions of rounds expended by both sides were unexploded.
Arguably, the most dangerous ordnance on the ground is cluster munitions, which the Russian military has been using since the launch of the full-scale invasion, or “special military operation.” Estimates for these very unstable bomblets being unexploded range as high as 40 percent.
Ukraine currently has 17 mine-clearing vehicles; it needs at least 70. A recent report by GlobeSec stated that mine clearing in Ukraine will take more than 20 years, but that is with international support.
“The scale of this challenge is staggering. If the HALO Trust alone were tasked with clearing two million mines in Ukraine, it would take approximately 127 years under consistent funding conditions,” said British MG James Cowan (ret.), speaking of HALO Trust, the world’s biggest landmine clearance group, which Cowan runs. Other experts peg the time much longer than that.
The cost of demining is expected to run upward of $30 to $34 billion.
About the Author:
Steve Balestrieri is a National Security Columnist. He served as a US Army Special Forces NCO and Warrant Officer. In addition to writing on defense, he covers the NFL for PatsFans.com and is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA). His work was regularly featured in many military publications.
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