The Demining Coalition will allocate over EUR 30 million for purchases to support Ukraine

In the near future, the Demining Coalition will undertake its first procurement of 2025, providing more than EUR 30 million to support the clearance of explosive hazards in Ukraine. 

This was a subject of discussion during the tenth meeting of the Working Group of Coalition member states. The event was attended by Colonel Ruslan Berehulia, Head of the Main Directorate for Mine Action, Civil Protection, and Environmental Safety, and representatives of the Administration of the State Special Transport Service, the Support Forces Command of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and partner countries.

The Coalition's coordinator, Rolandas Kiškis, also participated in the meeting as a representative of the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Lithuania. He visited Ukraine to discuss, develop, and finalize the 2025 demining capability development plan within the Coalition, as well as prioritize and approve the list of demining equipment to be procured this year.

Colonel Ruslan Berehulia briefed the partners on the current situation and the challenges encountered in demining Ukrainian territories, providing details on the 2025 capability development plan. He also expressed gratitude to the Coalition members for their cooperation and encouraged countries that are still hesitant to join. 

“In 2024, demining equipment and machinery were handed over to Ukraine, and Ukrainian demining specialists were trained in accordance with NATO and IMAS standards at the training centers of partner nations. The first contributions to the Coalition have already started arriving this year, and I want to thank Lithuania, Iceland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland for their support. Besides that, all the requirements for equipment, resources, and personnel training for 2025 have also been finalized,” said Colonel Ruslan Berehulia 

He also noted that in 2024, a Roadmap for the development of Ukraine's demining capabilities through 2035 was drafted and approved.