The Ministry of Economy, together with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), MAG and APOPO, has started working on reforming the area of demining with the help of dogs and creating a relevant national standard. As part of this initiative, 8 female dog handlers and 16 mine-search dogs have already been trained and will be working in the fields of Kharkiv region for the next 7 months.

The project participants are graduates of the Sumy Agrarian National University with a degree in dog training. In addition, they completed three months of training in Cambodia, where they worked in the fields with the dogs. And in summer, they can withstand temperatures up to 35°C. As part of this project, one dog handler works with two dogs in shifts: while one dog surveys the area, the other rests.

The presentation of the project, which is being implemented with the support of the governments of Spain, the Netherlands, and the European Union, was attended by Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Ihor Bezkaravaynyi. 

“I have seen how effectively dog handlers work with mine-sniffing dogs. They are many times faster than ordinary sappers.  That is why I am grateful to the partners for initiating this project. We will accumulate the best international practices, reflect them in the national standard, and after working with dogs in the fields in different conditions, I am sure that our experience will be the basis for updating international standards,” said Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine Ihor Bezkaravaynyi.

The use of teams with mine-sniffing dogs will speed up the demining process in Ukraine: a fully trained service dog can survey an area of 1,500 square meters per day, while a human sapper can survey 20-50 square meters per day. Dogs ignore scrap metal and detect only the smell of explosives, which means that they find mines and tripwires in the fields where they are laid faster than sappers with metal detectors.

“The use of specially trained working dogs increases the efficiency and effectiveness of our demining missions. Their abilities allow us to conduct a more comprehensive survey of areas, they pinpoint hazards, and this is crucial to allowing communities to safely reclaim their land,” said MAG's Chief Executive Officer Jon Cunliffe.

“The project and the use of mine-sniffing dogs not only contributes to the development of demining efforts in Ukraine, but also promotes gender equality by engaging Ukrainian women in the work of dog handlers. This initiative empowers women, promotes professional growth and demonstrates a commitment to promoting gender equality in all areas, including mine action,” said Ricardo Lopez-Aranda Jagu, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to Ukraine.

MAG, an international mine action operator, and APOPO, a non-profit organization working with trained animals in demining, will deploy teams with mine-sniffing dogs to clear 180 hectares in Kharkiv region. Later, dog handlers will also work in Kherson and Mykolaiv regions. 

“This project is an example of our dedicated work to improve security in the regions where hostilities have been taking place. By investing in effective demining processes, we aim to restore security and make land suitable for humanitarian and development programs, which will ultimately contribute to Ukraine's recovery and development,” said Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Ukraine Alle Dorhout.

On the basis of the project, international partners, with the involvement of experts from the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Defense, and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, are working on the first version of the national standard for demining with dogs. Its adoption will allow scaling up the training program and increasing the number of mine-search groups with dogs and, accordingly, speeding up the demining process.

“The use of mine-sniffing dogs, which have proven themselves in other parts of the world, is in line with our commitment to develop national mine action standards adapted to the unique conditions of Ukraine. This initiative will not only enhance our demining efforts, but also set a benchmark for future operations by ensuring more efficient and effective explosive ordnance disposal,” said UNDP Resident Representative Jaco Cilliers.

It is worth mentioning that the issue of humanitarian demining is overseen by the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine - Minister of Economy of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko. The Ministry of Economy of Ukraine ensures the interaction of central executive authorities in the mine action field, particularly in the area of humanitarian demining.