Approaching winter drives the rush to clear bombs and shells for the safe restoration of electricity
TOPSHOT - A member of a Ukrainian mine-clearing unit sweeps the area for explosives near Izyum, eastern Ukraine on October 1, 2022, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Juan BARRETO / AFP)
IZYUM, Ukraine (AFP) — Small, hidden and lethal, mines and other explosives left behind by retreating Russian forces in eastern Ukraine pose an urgent challenge for demining teams ahead of winter.
"Without us, there is no chance of repairing services like electricity before winter," Artem, who heads a mine-clearing unit working around recently liberated Izyum, said.
"We found more than 30 mines and artillery shells today, mostly shells," the 33-year-old told AFP, wiping his brow after removing his protective eyewear.
His 10-strong unit is tasked with clearing areas around damaged critical infrastructure such as electricity cables, water and gas pipes.
"Every day we start off where we finished yesterday," he said, as a team of electricity workers gingerly advanced in single file behind a mine clearer into a sunflower field and towards a broken cable.
Other colleagues stacked discovered mines with detonators safely removed beside a truck for loading and disposal.
Demining teams dot the debris-strewn road verges between Izyum, which was captured by Ukrainian forces last month after six months, and the border of Donetsk region not far down the road.
Artem, who didn't want to give his full name, spoke candidly about his team's perilous work, scanning road verges and carefully wading into tall grass fields.
"Its our job, it's what we know how to do, but now even more than ever it's our duty," he said, referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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