In ordinary times, Ukrainian farmer Oleksandr Kryvtsov would not be a viral celebrity. Krystov, frustrated by the fact that much of his farmland was contaminated with landmines, has taken matters into his own hands, turning his tractor into a remote-controlled demining vehicle. Videos and images of his light blue tractor demining fields near Hrakove, Ukraine went viral earlier this summer.
As the tide turns against Russia in its war against Ukraine, it is increasingly relying on massive fields of land mines to prevent Ukraine from liberating its territory. Today, an area roughly the size of Florida within Ukraine is contaminated. A large portion of those landmines are in prime agricultural land whose continued presence is a hindrance to investment, food security, and a continuing endangerment to human life.
Ukraine has an ambitious plan to is increasingly turning its attention to the challenge of de-mining large swathes of the country to resume agriculture production, with ambitious plans to de-mine at least the most valuable 470,000 hectares of agricultural land over the next four years. But by some estimates, landmines will lay dormant there for decades, if not centuries.
The scale of the problem cannot be underestimated. But another post-Soviet country, which has been breaking new ground in the face of a seemingly insurmountable landmine problem, could provide part of the solution.
Azerbaijan recaptured large swathes of its internationally recognized territory that had been seized by Armenian separatists in the closing days of the Soviet Union and occupied for three decades in 2020.
Like Ukraine, those lands are now heavily contaminated with Soviet-era landmines. And like Ukraine, that land too has agricultural potential that Azerbaijan hopes to tap. Thanks to ongoing de-mining efforts, some 50,000 hectares there were planted with grain crops last year, according to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Agriculture.
Azerbaijan has made de-mining a top priority because hundreds of thousands of former internally displaced people (IDPs) hope to return to their homes and rebuild ruined towns. The region was once known for its agricultural products.
“As a result of the liberation of territories of Azerbaijan, we are now in the active phase of development of those lands with respect to infrastructure, including agricultural development. Because the agricultural potential in the liberated areas is really very impressive,” the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev said earlier this year.
This urgent need to de-mine the liberated territories is one of Azerbaijan’s “most important issues” was reiterated by President Aliyev during an appearance at the Azerbaijan’s Global Media Forum last month. Addressing hundreds of international delegates in the city of Shusha – itself also in an area still heavily contaminated by mines – that some 300 Azerbaijanis have been killed or injured by landmines since Azerbaijani recovered the region. It’s a similar story in Ukraine with a grim twist. According to Save The Children, an NGO, one in eight of those injured in Ukraine are children.
But one of the biggest hurdles to de-mining is cost. While the cost of producing a landmine is relatively cheap from $3 to $75 dollars according to the International Red Cross, the cost of removing a single mine can range from $300 to $1000 dollars. Even for Azerbaijan, a relatively wealthy country owing to its abundant natural gas resources, this poses a major challenge. For Ukraine, it will be worse.
“We received several proposals from several international companies to work in this area but unfortunately the price was very high…on average 8 to 10 times [the local cost],” President Aliyev said.
The Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) – established in 1998 with a mandate to de-mine the country with the support of the United Nations has developed innovative approaches to de-mining. Over the years it has also been supported by the U.S. government. Today the agency is training new volunteers from amongst IDPs.
“They are clearing their own land,” says Samir Poladov, the Deputy Chair of ANAMA. “They know they are doing this work for themselves. Outsourcing the same jobs to foreign companies would cost 10 times as much.”
ANAMA has also been involved in other projects such as micro-lending initiatives to help restore the livelihoods of IDPs.
This is a model that could work well In Ukraine, where many farmers like Oleksandr Kryvtsov are already taking matters into their own hands to clear their lands, frustrated by the painstakingly slow pace of de-mining. In Azerbaijan other frustrations exist.
“The Armenian authorities have consistently failed or refused to hand over maps detailing where mines have been laid. Where they have done so, the maps are incomplete. All too often, our mine clearance professionals are forced to work with impartial records, rendering their work even slower and deadlier than it would otherwise has been.” Armenia has long-denied this charge and the fate of the maps became tied up in negotiations over POWs from the 2020 conflict.
Should Ukraine emerge victorious in its war with Russia, it is unlikely Putin will be any more forthcoming with the provision of mine maps. In both cases the chaos of the battlefield, changing weather patterns, floods, and other issues could lead to such maps having limited utility. Especially in cases where landmines were planted years if not decades in the past.
Azerbaijan has also tapped APOPO to help its fight against landmines. The organization is a U.S.-registered non-profit with a headquarters in Tanzania. APOPO is famous in the de-mining community for its use of both dogs and giant African pouched rats in the demining process. Both animals have sensitive noses which can be trained to sniff out hints of explosives. Some APOPO rats have also been trained to sniff out tuberculosis in patients. The large rats work for peanuts – literally.
“In Azerbaijan, there is a willingness to try new things and innovative solutions,” said Itamar Levy, a director with APOPO, who has worked on demining efforts in both Azerbaijan and Ukraine.
This year a Ukrainian mission visited Azerbaijan to better understand Azerbaijan’s approach to de-mining. Middle Eastern representatives have also visited Azerbaijan to better understand its mine-clearance strategy. A joint Saud-Azeri company has been formed to apply Azerbaijan’s know-how and technologies in other parts of the world. Some 61 countries around the world are still contaminated with landmines — mostly from wars that ended years ago. In many cases landmines are located in prime agricultural land. Thus, landmines pose a threat to both human and food security around the globe.
“Azerbaijan is ready to present a new humanitarian package, including mine-cleaning equipment. Demining is one of the important directions of our cooperation with our partners. Ukraine needs to receive this equipment from its partners. It should also be production-based in Ukraine so that we can clear our land of Russian mines,” Ukrainian president Volodomyr Zelensky said in an address thanking Azerbaijan earlier this month.
In both countries however, the battle against landmines will take years if not decades. In the case of Ukraine some grim analysts suggest it could take centuries unless new and innovative solutions are tried to decontaminate the roughly 30% of Ukranian territory that is currently mined. Yet, in niether country is it an impossible struggle as both countries are home to diligent individuals and organizations committed to ensuring farmers like Oleksandr Kryvtsov can one day plant again.
Joseph Hammond
