On July 9, the Government of Japan handed over to the SESU two Nikken demining machines and other new equipment, including ALIS mine detectors. The handover ceremony was attended by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine Matsuda Kuninori, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko, Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Ihor Bezkaravainyi, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Kateryna Pavlichenko, Head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine Andriy Danik, President of Nikken Corporation Makoto Amemiya and Chief Representative of the JICA Office in Ukraine Hideki Matsunaga.

"There are no similar models in Ukraine at the moment. There is a lot of work for this type of machine and they are highly relevant right now. It is also important that these machines will be serviced in Ukraine, by Ukrainian specialists and Ukrainian companies. It is not just about unilateral assistance from Japan, it is also about cooperation, because we can make these machines better. With quick feedback from the operators who will work with these machines directly in the field, we can improve them and make them capable of performing more complex operations," said Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Ihor Bezkaravainyi.

The BM307 demining vehicle is an armoured excavator with a rotary mine clearance mechanism. The remote boom allows it to effectively clear roadsides, forest belts and irrigation canals, where other machines would be less efficient or unable to operate at all.

Japan is one of Ukraine's key partners in humanitarian demining. At the outset of the large-scale invasion, Japan provided and pledged over $70 million of support. Most of this amount was spent on purchasing equipment for the SESU. In particular, Ukrainian rescuers received nearly a thousand personal protective equipment kits, more than five hundred metal detectors, and over 40 units of light and heavy equipment.

"Japan donated 30 Isuzu trucks assembled in Cherkasy by a local manufacturer to the SESU. This initiative created additional jobs, stimulated the local economy, and was recognised with the International Flagship Project Award at the International Conference on Reconstruction of Ukraine. As for the demining machines, Nikken has signed a contract with a local company, Mobile Heavy Machinery Ltd, for further maintenance, which is expected to expand capacity in this area. Japan will continue to seek the best possible combination of 'Made in Japan' and 'Made in Ukraine' formats to ensure that only the highest quality equipment and vehicles are transferred to Ukraine," said Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine Matsuda Kuninori. 

Japan not only supports Ukraine with equipment and machinery but also shares its experience and trains Ukrainian specialists. In particular, the operators of the transferred demining machines who will work in the fields.

"Mine detectors, mechanised demining machines and all the equipment provided by the Japanese side means that hundreds and thousands of lives of our citizens will be saved today and in the future. Tomorrow, these two mechanised demining machines will be sent to Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions to carry out the work," said the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Ihor Klymenko. 

Japan is a member of the Sectoral Working Group on Humanitarian Demining at the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Ukraine Matsuda Kuninori serving as its co-chair.

Japan has also announced its readiness to host the next Mine Action Conference in Ukraine, which brings together dozens of countries and international organisations. This was stated by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the G7 Summit.

Japan plans to further strengthen cooperation with Ukraine in the area of humanitarian demining. During a visit to Cambodia, Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa announced Tokyo and Phnom Penh's intention to jointly assist Ukraine. This includes exchanges of technology and knowledge in the field of humanitarian demining.

 
Coordination of humanitarian demining efforts is led by the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko. The Ministry of Economy of Ukraine facilitates cooperation of central executive authorities in the field of humanitarian demining.