From: Maia Mikhaluk in Kyiv (962nd day) — The photos in this post are of the pine forest near Sasha’s flower farm. We loved to go to that forest, especially during the months of the pandemic. It was always nice to escape city noises and pollution and enjoy the peace of the woods. But from the beginning of ruzzian invazaion in Feb 2022 we were not allowed to go to forests because of possible landmines. We stayed away from the forest for almost 2 years. Only 6 months ago we renewed our walks there and even now, we remain strictly on trails.
About 142,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian land, which is almost half of the territory of Germany, are considered to be contaminated by mines. This includes territories that are still occupied, those that are de-occupied, the territories in which active hostilities are taking place, and the territories that have suffered rocket and bomb attacks. The ruzzians have more than 2,700 types of mines that they use in Ukraine. The Washington Post stated that it would take Ukraine 757 years to completely demine its territory. Our government said that we will manage in 10-12 years. It might be even faster with new technologies, including drones and AI. It’s still mind-blowing to think of the extent of evil that is done by the invaders – not only in ongoing destruction by bombings but also by planting landmines to extend destruction even into the time after the war is over.
Voice of Ukraine 