Published on: 2026-07-11
Source: United Nations – United Nations –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
July 11, 2026 Peace and Security
The conflict on the territory of Ukraine has not only changed the nature of modern warfare, but also posed new humanitarian challenges to the world. The widespread use of drones, artificial intelligence, and new types of weapons has turned the country into one of the most heavily contaminated areas in the world with mines and unexploded ordnance. The consequences go far beyond Ukraine: they affect global food security, the economy, and the recovery of affected regions.
This was stated in an interview with the UN News Service by Paul Heslop, Senior Advisor on Mine Action for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine. According to him, the main factor that changed the battlefield was drones.
“The battlespace has become much deeper, wider, and significantly more lethal,” the expert explained.
If in the past the front lines were separated by several hundred meters, now the danger zone can extend up to 20 kilometers deep. Any movement of a person or equipment is almost instantly detected by a drone, after which an artillery strike or kamikaze drone attack is carried out.
According to Heslop, the casualty statistics have also changed. Whereas previously there were usually three wounded for every one killed, today the situation is practically the opposite: “approximately three out of four combatants die, and one is wounded.”
© UNDP Ukraine/K. Nevenche “Caution – mines!”
Artificial intelligence makes weapons more precise
Although many modern technologies remain classified, the expert noted that artificial intelligence already plays an important role on the battlefield. It helps to detect targets faster, select the most effective type of weaponry, and coordinate successive attacks by various systems.
At the same time, the nature of the mine threat is also changing. Drones are increasingly being used not as independent weapons, but as a means of delivering conventional ammunition – mortar shells, grenades, or rocket-propelled grenades. Such munitions can explode immediately upon impact, with a delay, or remain hidden on the ground, effectively turning into anti-personnel mines.
“Drones are completely changing the ways weapons are used,” Heslop noted.
This means that demining specialists have to face much more diverse and unpredictable threats.
Ukraine’s experience and the courage of sappers
Despite the scale of the problem, Ukraine approached the current crisis not from zero. After World War II, Ukrainian specialists spent decades clearing the country’s territory of munitions. From 1945 to 2022, more than half a million explosive items were neutralized.
Today, this work is continued by units of the State Emergency Service, police sappers, specialists from the State Special Transport Service, as well as Ukrainian and international humanitarian organizations.
According to Heslop, international experts support their Ukrainian colleagues, while the main burden is carried daily by the local specialists.
He is deeply impressed by the resilience of peaceful Ukrainian citizens. He recalls an incident in winter when a drone crashed into a residential building but did not explode. The building was evacuated, bomb disposal experts disarmed the device, and residents were able to return to their apartments within two hours.
“This level of resilience and ability to resolve issues quickly is simply incredible,” noted the expert.
Demining is an investment in the future
Heslop emphasized that demining itself is not the ultimate goal.
“If we clear the area of mines and it does not yield positive results, it means the money was wasted,” he said.
Therefore, each operation is carefully evaluated in terms of its benefit. Clearing a bridge can reduce a pregnant woman’s route to the maternity hospital from four hours to fifteen minutes. Demining a school will allow hundreds of children to return to in-person learning. Clearing one field can open access to dozens of neighboring agricultural lands.
This is of particular importance for agriculture. Before the war, Ukraine was one of the largest grain producers in the world. Vast areas of agricultural land are currently considered potentially contaminated, although some of them are actually safe.
A quick inspection of such territories will allow their reintegration, increase food production, and thereby reduce global food prices.
According to the expert, a rise in the price of bread by a few cents may be almost unnoticed by residents of wealthy countries, but for families in countries with extremely low incomes, it means the inability to buy the necessary amount of food. Ultimately, food instability becomes one of the causes of forced migration.
Technologies that will help the whole world
Paul Heslop believes that Ukraine is becoming the platform for developing the next generation of humanitarian demining technologies today.
We are talking about modern satellite images, drones, highly sensitive sensors capable of detecting not metal, but the explosive substance itself, ground-penetrating radars, and robotic systems that allow the examination of dangerous areas remotely, without exposing bomb disposal experts to unnecessary risk.
In his opinion, Ukraine’s experience will be beneficial far beyond its borders. The technologies currently being developed for Ukrainian conditions will in the future significantly accelerate and reduce the cost of demining in Afghanistan, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, and other countries where millions of people continue to live near mines and unexploded ordnance.
“This is a battle that can be won,” the expert is convinced. According to him, “there is no magic wand,” but thanks to artificial intelligence and data analysis, it is possible to use limited resources much more efficiently. “What took 100 million dollars to achieve five years ago will be able to deliver four to five times greater results in the future,” Heslop noted.
Please note; This information is raw content obtained directly from the information source. It represents an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.