The Ukrainian government announced on Wednesday that it will receive 60 mine-clearing vehicles from Switzerland by mid-next year, with funding from the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the German Development Bank.
The Swiss company Global Clearance Solutions will deliver the vehicles by next year to help the Ukrainian military detect and defuse mines planted by Russia.
In a statement, the company said: “By mid-next year, we will have delivered 60 mine-clearing vehicles to Ukraine, helping to create safe environments, facilitate the recovery of civilians and save lives.”
In May, the Swiss company announced plans to transfer about 20 mine-clearing vehicles to Ukraine in 2023. The vehicles will be used to clear mines and unexploded ordnance from agricultural land and critical infrastructure in abandoned areas in Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Kherson.
Last month, the Swiss company opened a service center for mine-clearing vehicles in Ukraine. The center’s mission is to provide advice to Ukrainian specialists and help maintain and repair mine-clearing vehicles.
According to initial estimates, an estimated 174,000 square kilometers of Ukraine are likely to be contaminated with explosive ordnance.
