The Diplomat
The Union of Ukrainian Associations in Spain ‘KRAI’, in collaboration with the Humanitarian Coordination Center, the Ukrainian company Kharkiv Tractor Engineering and with the support of the Ukrainian Embassy in Spain has launched the project ‘Safe Return Home’, which aims to help demining 139,000 square kilometers rendered useless by all kinds of explosives.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion in 2014, and especially after the full-scale invasion of 2022, more than 6 million people in Ukraine live under the constant threat of landmines, which have caused thousands of casualties and render more than 5 million hectares unusable for agricultural production, generating losses worth $4.3 billion annually.
Twenty-three percent of the country, some 139,000 km², is contaminated with explosives, making Ukraine the most heavily mined country in the world. Entire communities are unable to return to their homes or resume their livelihoods because of the insecurity caused by explosives scattered in the fields, sometimes even hidden in toys.
Therefore, the Ukrainian residents in Spain have set themselves the goal of acquiring five demining machines MP3200, each with a cost of 160,000 euros, specifically designed and manufactured in Ukraine to sift up to 15 hectares per day, operating remotely, deactivating or detecting mines.
Those responsible for the project assured yesterday, during a press conference at the Ukrainian Embassy that, in addition to saving lives and preventing future tragedies, the project aims to reactivate the agricultural economy by recovering arable land; facilitate the safe return of displaced families; ensure the arrival of humanitarian aid by opening roads currently blocked; and rebuild essential infrastructures.
Donations for this project can be sent by bank transfer to the account ES09 2100 1300 9802 0007 7600, of the Asociación Galega de Axuda a Ucraína (AGA- Ucraína), a member of KRAI, which will allow donors to benefit from tax deductions of up to 80% under Spanish law. You can access more information through the link “Regreso al hogar seguro” (Return to a safe home).
