A record 8,000 hectares are being demined near Izium: We are approaching areas where serious fighting took place

The Humanitarian Demining Center successfully conducted an auction for the demining of agricultural land in the Kharkiv region, covering an area of 7,995 hectares. This will increase by 50% the area of land to be cleared within the framework of the state compensation program, reports Ministry of Economy.

A record application was submitted by ADP-Agro LLC, which already has successful experience participating in the compensation program. In November, the company had over 3,300 hectares of cleared land returned to it in the Barvinkove community.

The new application was divided into 10 separate lots with an area of 193 to 1,123 hectares. As part of the project, it is planned to clear 1,283 cadastral plots in the Oskil, Barvinkove, and Balakliia communities of the Izium district. The total cost of the clearing work, based on the results of the auctions, is UAH 588.3 million.

"We are gradually approaching the clearing of territories where serious hostilities took place. In fact, in the communities where demining will take place under this application, over 31,000 hectares have the status of probably or confirmed contaminated. This is a third of all lands with such status in Ukraine," said Ihor Bezkaravainyi, Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine.

Based on the results of three auctions, the operator "Humanitarian Security" won. Two more plots will be demined by the company "Global Demining".

PSM Ukraine, Transimpex Demining, Ukrainian Demining Services, Ukrainian Demining Agency, and International Demining Group also won one lot each at the auction. The preliminary average cost of demining within the bid is UAH 73,600 per hectare.

"In fact, with one application, we increased the area of land to be demined by 50% within the framework of the state compensation program. And it is important that we are launching the process this year. According to the results of the bidding, preliminary winners have been identified for seven auctions, and decisions are still pending for three," said Volodymyr Baida, director of the Humanitarian Demining Center.

• On October 13, it became known that the Cabinet of Ministers had expanded the circle of participants in the state program for compensating the costs of humanitarian demining of agricultural land. Apply for land to be cleared of explosive ordnance not only agricultural enterprises, but also private landowners and self-employed farmers will be able to do so.