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STORY: :: This sniffer dog and its handler are tasked with clearing landmines across Ukraine

:: Kyiv, Ukraine

:: August 21, 2024

:: Karina Buchma, Dog handler

"I grew up with dogs, I grew up being surrounded by the animals. I love them very much. I wanted to work in this field and an opportunity has come up. I am doing what I love and I am helping my country."

"We plan to work in Kharkiv and Mykolaiv regions. The experience I received abroad will help me a lot. I know what a minefield looks like, I've been there, I have seen it with my own eyes, and I got a taste of it. When I walk into the minefield wearing protective gears, carrying the backpack, and walking the dog, I already know that anti-tank, anti-personnel landmines, or any other sort of ordnance can be anywhere."

About 25 percent of Ukraine’s territory is contaminated with mines and explosive devices, according to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.

Crews underwent five months of training in Cambodia, and project representatives say a dog can inspect up to 1,500 square meters of land per day, as compared to 20-50 square meters by a person.

The joint initiative by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and APOPO, a non-profit organization known for innovative use of trained animals, aims to boost efforts in demining in Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Kharkiv regions.