Ukraine is fast becoming the biggest minefield on the planet.  But the use of mines on the battlefield often gets short shrift when it comes to attracting attention, something not particularly surprising because with few exceptions, mines are static devices and not often responsible for the sort of instant gratification footage so common in an era of social media.  Nowhere is this more readily observed than in the Russian-Ukraine war, which is about to mark its one-year anniversary since Russian president Vladimir Putin launched a major invasion of Ukraine, something Putin euphemistically but steadfastly refers to as a “special military operation.”

While military action often takes center stage, another type of war is going on in Ukraine being “fought” by personnel from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, (Ukrainian: Державна служба України з надзвичайних ситуацій – ДСНС) known in English by the initials DSNS.  These professionals encounter mines, booby traps, and unexploded ordnance at a staggering rate, and they are paying for it with their lives.

 

DSNS Deminers

Mines – History and Law