As of February 2024, the territory of Ukraine, potentially contaminated with explosive objects due to Russia’s full-scale war, amounts to 156,000 square kilometers, reported the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. This is approximately 25% of the country’s total area. In terms of size, it is comparable to the area of the European country Liechtenstein (160 thousand square kilometers).
The European Commission will hand over to Kyiv the third group of 12 sapper dogs (explosive detection dogs) for demining the territory of Ukraine.
The ceremony of handing over the dogs to the Ukrainian side will take place on June 14 in the town of Nowy Sonch in southern Poland.
This will be the third, largest group of dogs trained within the project of the Directorate General of the European Commission for Migration and Home Affairs and the Service for EU Foreign Policy Instruments.
The dogs were trained in Belgium, Poland, Italy, Malta, Luxembourg and Finland.
In Poland, the dogs underwent a 14-day adaptation course at the base of the Carpathian border guard detachment, during which the Ukrainian dog handlers had the opportunity to get to know their new partners.
As part of the solemn ceremony, a presentation of the dogs’ ability to detect explosive substances will take place, as well as their symbolic transfer to the new Ukrainian owners.
In total, the European Commission will provide Ukraine with 50 specially trained explosive detection dogs.
The estimated budget of the project, which will last until 2025, is 3 million euros.
