Mine Action Weekly, 27 April - 3 May 2026
- Markus Schindler
- May 4
- 15 min read
A warm welcome to the latest edition of the Mine Action Weekly newsletter - your go-to source for the most important global updates from the mine action sector. Read about the latest news on EO contamination & clearance, EORE, accidents and victim assistance, advocacy efforts, stockpile destruction, mine action innovation & technology, and assistance, cooperation & funding - right here, every Monday. Dive right in and stay up-to-date!
Disclaimers:
This newsletter features news reports and articles from a variety of sources. Mention of these resources does not indicate agreement with or endorsement of the opinions of others. I do not claim responsibility or credit for these works, and do not vouch for the information contained in them.
This newsletter is created and managed in a personal capacity, independent of my professional affiliation with Fondation suisse de déminage (FSD).
🗞️ Weekly News Roundup
The weekly news roundup showcases a low-down of the top mine action news and insights from the past seven days.
1. EO Contamination, Clearance & Land Release
A total of 344 anti-personnel mines, 116 anti-tank mines, and 3,410 unexploded ordnances (UXOs) were detected and neutralised last month, the Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA) said in a statement. The agency noted that, in total, 7,788.8 hectares of territory had been cleared of mines and UXOs during the reporting period.
Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) is actively carrying out operations to clear cluster bombs and release land for the socio-economic use of local communities, including farmland such as cassava plantations that are approaching harvest time.
🇫🇷 France: Thousands flock to French military site for illegal rave, authorities warn of unexploded mortars
Thousands of people are expected to gather for an illegal rave party at the Bourges military site in central France this weekend. The site is “extremely dangerous”, authorities say, who have warned revellers against the risks of stepping on unexploded mortars that have yet to be detected.
🇮🇷 Iran's Revolutionary Guard Claims Acquisition of 9,500 Unexploded U.S. Ordnance... Fears of Bunker Buster Technology Leakage
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran has announced its intention to develop new weapons using unexploded ordnance recovered from Iranian territory during its recent clashes with the United States. As the ceasefire continues, concerns are mounting that Iran could acquire technology through reverse engineering of major U.S. munitions, including bunker busters.
🇵🇸 🇺🇳 Palestine: UN official calls for urgent demining operations in Gaza, West Bank to protect civilians
A UN official has called for the urgent expansion of mine clearance operations across the Gaza Strip and the West Bank to reduce the growing risks to innocent civilians. Julius Van der Walt, Chief of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) programme in Palestine, told a press briefing via video link from Gaza to the UN Headquarters in New York that explosive ordnance contamination in both Gaza and the West Bank constitutes an emergency.
🇸🇩 Sudan's war leaves Khartoum with unexploded mines and other weapons
Three years of war have left Khartoum heavily contaminated with landmines and unexploded ordnance, killing and injuring civilians, many of them children. Returning residents face hidden dangers in homes and streets. Clearance is slow and under-resourced, with tens of thousands of devices found, meaning risks will persist for years. Read more here.
🇺🇦 Ukraine: Mykolaiv region clears about half of mined areas, farmer compensation mechanism not working – Kim
Head of Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration Vitaliy Kim has said that the area of cleared land in the region is now roughly equal to the area that still needs to be demined. Asked whether the mechanism for compensating farmers for demining is working, he replied: "No, it is not working. I raised this issue because demining costs about $5,000 per hectare. When you pay 20%, that is still $1,000. Economically, it does not add up – $100,000 for demining 100 hectares. It is easier to rent land in central Ukraine and sow there," he said.
🇺🇦 Ukraine: Unseen Warriors: The Race to Demine Ukraine's Fertile Grounds
Only Iran knows how many mines it has placed in the Strait of Hormuz. But even the possibility that it has littered the narrow waterway with the deadly weapons is forcing the US to begin preparing to scour the seabed for them. It could take weeks to complete such a painstaking mission and for the route to be declared safe from mines, which may be camouflaged to look like rocks and can burrow into the sands, according to experts.
🇺🇦 Ukraine restores over 15,000 hectares through expanded humanitarian demining program
As part of humanitarian demining in Ukraine, around 30 operators are currently involved; thanks to this program, more than 15,000 hectares of agricultural land have been returned to productive use.
🇺🇦 Ukraine: Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day: How GCS is helping prevent the next environmental threat
Marking Chernobyl Remembrance Day, the article highlights how radioactive contamination now overlaps with landmines and explosive remnants, creating complex environmental risks. Global Clearance Solutions (GCS) supports survey and mine clearance in the exclusion zone, enabling safer firefighting and land management while helping prevent further ecological damage in already fragile, contaminated areas.
🇺🇸 🌊 United States: Collaborative testing demonstration seeks improvement for shorelines remediation projects
In February, a team of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers geophysicists and ordnance explosive safety experts supported a demonstration at the former Maine Bombing Area, a Formerly Used Defense Site (FUDS) located in Reid State Park, Maine, and the site of a World War II bombing range. The demonstration was a test of a system that could make ordnance-laden beaches safe again.
🇾🇪 Yemen: 'MASAM' removes 1273 Houthis-laid landmines in a week
King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center's Demining Project in Yemen, known as Masam Landmine Clearance Project - Yemen managed to remove 1273 of landmines, unexploded ordnances (UXO) and improvised explosives devices (IED) in the fourth week of April 2026. The Center reported that 105 anti-tanks and 3 anti-personnel landmines, 1157 UXO and 8 IED were removed from different Yemeni regions.
🌍 The role of mine action in urban reconstruction
An event called “Rebuilding Safely: The Role of Mine Action in Urban Reconstruction,” which explored the vast difference between mine clearance in rural and urban areas, was held on the sidelines of the ECOSOC Youth Forum at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 16 April.
🌍 Clearing the Ground Beneath Our Feet: Why Demining Is the Ultimate Environmental Act
War leaves long-term environmental damage through explosive remnants contaminating land, as seen in Laos and now Ukraine. Farmland becomes unsafe, restricting livelihoods for generations. Demining is essential not only for safety but for restoring agriculture, economic stability, and community resilience, enabling people to reclaim land and rebuild sustainable futures.
🌊 International Open Spirit 2026 mine-clearing drills begin in Baltic Sea
International naval exercises and a mine-clearing operation, Open Spirit 2026, have begun in the Baltic Sea, aimed at clearing the seabed of explosive remnants. The operation will run from May 1 to 13. The main objective of the operation is to ensure the safety of shipping and fishing by detecting and disposing of munitions left on the Baltic seabed.
Other EO Finds from Around the Globe:
🇲🇲 Myanmar: 22 Landmines Uncovered During Clearance Operations in Maungdaw. Read more
🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea: NZDF assists Bougainville in destruction of WWII-era bombs. Read more
🇸🇪 Swedish bomb squad assess suspicious object in Malmo. Read more
🇸🇾 🇮🇱 Syria: Israeli Army Detonates Mines in Occupied Golan. Read more
🇹🇭 Thailand: 32 mines found in one day near border. Read more
🇬🇧 United Kingdom: A487 closed near Talybont during bomb disposal operation. Read more
🇬🇧 United Kingdom: WW2 bomb detonated after building site discovery. Read more
🇬🇧 United Kingdom: People returning to 'normality' after WW2 bomb. Read more
🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Bomb squad called in after suspected ordnance spotted on West Cumbrian beach. Read more
🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Bomb disposal team safely removes old mortar shell from Leamington garden. Read more
🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Reports of unexploded grenade found in Oxfordshire field. Read more
🇬🇧 United Kingdom: 'Smoke bomb' found in Hemel Hempstead by 11-year-old boy. Read more
🇺🇸 United States: Neighbours breathe sigh of relief after explosives removed from West Bountiful home. Read more
2. Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE)
🇵🇸 Occupied Palestinian Territories: MAG launches new partnership with Jabal Al-Nar Club
MAG (Mines Advisory Group) is pleased to announce a new partnership in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) with the Jabal Al-Nar Club – a leading youth NGO in the West Bank. Through this collaboration, a new Explosive Ordnance Risk Education (EORE) and Conflict Preparedness & Protection (CPP) initiative has been launched in Nablus Governorate, in the north of the West Bank.
🇺🇦 Ukraine: This little fluffball is saving lives in Ukraine
In the frontline communities of Ukraine's Kharkiv region, a six-year-old German Spitz named Chivas is doing something remarkable: teaching children how to stay safe in a war zone.
3. Accidents, Survivors, Victim Assistance
🇮🇳 India: Three Jawans Killed in IED Blast During Mine Clearing in Kanker
Three jawans were killed and another seriously injured following an IED explosion during a mine-clearing operation in the district. The blast occurred accidentally while personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) were attempting to defuse a landmine planted by Maoists in a forested area near Chhotebethiya police station, close to Narayanpur district.
🇮🇷 Iran: 14 IRGC members killed in explosion during mine clearance in Iran
At least 14 members of Iran’s elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were killed and two others seriously injured in an explosion while clearing unexploded mines and ordnance in the country’s northwest. The incident occurred near Zanjan, where an IRGC unit was conducting a search and clearance operation in a conflict-affected area.
Landmines and unexploded ordnance continue risking both civilians and military personnel across various parts of Syria, particularly in areas that witnessed previous military operations. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights's (SOHR) statistics, 14 specialists and members affiliated to the Ministry of Defence and general security forces were killed and 21 others sustained various injuries.
Explosions of war remnants continue risking the safety and lives of civilians in all zones of influence across Syria, despite the considerable subsidence of military operations. They are strewn everywhere, especially in areas which experienced military operations in past years. In April, the Syrian Observatory documented the death of 43 civilians, including 22 children, and the injury of 51 other civilians, including 25 children and three women, due to the explosions of war remnants in Syria.
Other EO Accidents from Around the Globe:
🇰🇭 Cambodia: Farmer killed in mine blast as ERW casualties rise. Read more
🇮🇷 Iran: Landmine blast leaves Kurdish civilian severely injured. Read more
🇲🇲 Myanmar: Young Muslim Girl Loses Leg to Landmine in Sittwe. Read more
🇸🇾 Syria: 3 sanitation workers killed by landmine in Daraa countryside . Read more
🇸🇾 Syria: Civilian dies in explosion of landmine in Manbij countryside. Read more
🇸🇾 Syria: War remnants continue claiming lives of children in Idlib and Aleppo. Read more
🇸🇾 Syria: Young man di*es in explosion of war remnants in Al-Hasakah. Read more
🇸🇾 Syria: Old ordnance | Civilian and his daughter seriously injured in Aleppo countryside. Read more
🇸🇾 Syria: Old ordnance | Young man killed in Al-Raqqah desert. Read more
🇸🇾 Syria: Child killed in explosion of shell in Daraa countryside. Read more
🇸🇾 Syria: Old ordnance | Man killed and child injured in Hama and Idlib countryside. Read more
🇾🇪 Yemen: 2 Civilians Injured by Houthi Landmine Explosion in Southern Hodeidah. Read more
4. Advocacy, Policy, Conventions, Strategies and Standards
The government has set a target to clear all mine-affected areas by 2030, with cluster munitions and priority zones containing explosive remnants of war (ERW) to be cleared by 2035. This initiative aims to bolster socio-economic development and enhance Cambodia’s international standing.
🇨🇦 Canada: Landmines and Leadership: The Case for a Values‑Driven Economic and Security Policy
Canada can align economic, security, and humanitarian priorities by investing in mine action. Humanitarian demining strengthens stability, enables trade and development, and reinforces commitments like the Ottawa Treaty. A values-driven approach positions Canada as a global leader, showing that ethical foreign policy can advance both national interests and international security.
🇺🇦 Ukraine: Global mine action leaders convene: Ukraine leads with innovation, data, and inclusion
Global mine action leaders met in Geneva to address explosive threats, emphasising coordination across governments, UN agencies, NGOs, and experts. Ukraine showcased leadership through innovative, data-driven approaches, including AI prioritisation systems and inclusive practices. Discussions stressed that mine action must extend beyond clearance to survivor support, recovery, and long-term resilience.
🌍 International Meeting of Mine Action National Directors: Shaping the future of mine action
The International Meeting of Mine Action National Directors, convened by the UN and co-hosted with Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), once again brought together global leaders, organisations, and partners committed to protecting communities from landmines and explosive remnants of war. For MAG (Mines Advisory Group), the meeting was an important opportunity to help shape the conversation, drawing on more than 35 years of field experience.
5. Stockpile Destruction, Demolition, WAM and Disarmament
6. Research, Innovation, Technology and Market Trends
Nigerian technology startup Terra Industries unveiled interceptor drones and mine-clearing unmanned vehicles on Monday as part of new defence systems the military said could help in its anti-insurgency operations.
Aselsan’s DERİNGÖZ 100M/600 UUV demonstrated its ability to support mine countermeasures missions using its onboard sonars to detect bottom and moored mine types at varying depths.
🇺🇦 Ukraine tests demining machine with remote control up to 7 km
The updated Ukrainian Germina demining machine with remote control up to 7 km and an improved design is undergoing testing at the training ground of the mine action operator in Ukraine, Ukrainian Demining Services.
🇺🇦 Ukraine: MVS reports 110 mechanised demining vehicles as teams map contaminated areas
As of now, the subdivisions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs system have 110 mechanised mine-clearing vehicles. In 2025 the State Emergency Service operators conducted a non-technical survey of more than 1,800 km² of territory, and almost 320 km² were demined – with the participation of Ministry of Internal Affairs units.
🇺🇦 Ukraine: "There’s work here for decades." How DOK-ING is building a demining business in Ukraine — interview
Croatian company DOK-ING is building a long-term demining business in Ukraine, localising production and investing over €10 million while deploying robotic clearance machines. Drawing on Croatia’s decades-long experience, it aims to scale mechanized demining, train local operators, and position mine action as a major economic sector requiring sustained effort over decades.
🇺🇦 Ukraine: HALO Trust uses AI and remote machinery to speed up demining efforts near Kyiv
Mine clearers near the village of Myrotske are working to make woods and fields safe from mines and unexploded ordnance left behind after Russia occupied the area early in its invasion four years ago. The HALO Trust says the scale of contamination means clearance will take many years, though technology is helping to speed the process. Read more here.
🇺🇦 🌊 Ukraine: How Ukraine's demining robots could help U.S. open the Strait of Hormuz
The TLK-150 is eight feet long, weighs roughly 50 pounds and glides just below the surface of the Black Sea mapping out the minefields that lay below. Once it dips underwater, its rotors can churn for over 1,200 miles before needing a recharge. The sea drone, manufactured by the Ukrainian defense company Toloka, has sailed hundreds of missions off Ukraine's coast, searching for the mines laid underwater during Russia's invasion. Now, its services may be needed in a different commercial waterway.
The U.S. Navy is ramping up its AI capabilities to hunt for Iranian mines in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical shipping lanes, a recently awarded contract shows. The up to $100 million contract for the San Francisco artificial intelligence company Domino Data Lab could quicken this process with software that can teach underwater drones to identify new types of mines in a matter of days.
7. Mine Action Assistance, Funding and Cooperation
🇦🇿 🇨🇴 Azerbaijan, Colombia mull cooperation on addressing problem of landmines
Azerbaijan and Colombia discussed strengthening cooperation on landmine issues during high-level talks, recognizing both countries face significant contamination. They explored exchanging expertise and expanding collaboration in humanitarian demining, alongside broader political, economic, and cultural ties, with future consultations planned to deepen bilateral engagement and practical cooperation.
🇸🇩 🇪🇺 Sudan: EU supports mine clearance in Sudan
At the beginning of the week, the EU delegation in Sudan announced the provision of three million euros (around 2.8 million Swiss francs) for projects in the field of mine clearance. The project will focus in particular on the removal of mines and unexploded ordnance in urban and peri-urban areas that are now once again accessible to internally displaced persons, such as the capital Khartoum.
🇺🇦 Ukraine proposes joint NATO projects on demining efforts
Ukraine is interested in developing cooperation with NATO in the field of humanitarian demining, particularly through the implementation of joint projects with the Alliance. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment, and Agriculture Ihor Bezkaravainyi during a visit to Brussels to participate in the Defense and Security Sector Committee within the framework of the Ukraine–NATO Council. As part of the visit, a bilateral meeting took place with the Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary General of NATO, Piers Cazalet.
🌍 Global demining work strained by rising conflicts and shrinking aid
Demining experts from around the world have been sharing their collective shock at the widespread and growing threat from unexploded ordnance, the new head of the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) said this week. Despite the clear need to continue demining work in the world’s conflict zones and those now at peace, “for various reasons, the level of funding has gone down in terms of humanitarian assistance”, Ms. Kazumi Ogawa noted.
8. Other News
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan to introduce tax benefits for families of deminers killed during demining operations
Tax benefits are being determined for family members of those killed during demining operations. According to the draft, the taxable monthly income from salaried work of the parents, widows (widowers), and children of deminers who were killed in an accident caused by the detonation of explosive ordnance during demining activities, or who died as a result of injuries sustained during such incidents, will be reduced by 400 manats.
🇦🇿 Azerbaijan to cover tuition fees of children of deminers killed in operations
According to a draft law, the tuition fees of children of deminers who were killed or died as a result of injuries sustained during demining activities due to the detonation of explosive ordnance will be paid from the state budget while they receive paid education (excluding additional education) at state, municipal and private higher, secondary specialised and vocational education institutions in Azerbaijan.
🇮🇷 Iran Weighs ‘Mine-Carrying Dolphins’ as Strait of Hormuz Crisis Threatens 20% of Global Oil Supply
Iran is considering deploying dolphins equipped with naval mines against U.S. warships in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal, as tensions intensify between Tehran and Washington following a sustained blockade on Iranian oil exports.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom: Thieves return solar panels set up by bomb disposal hero
Courtney Pollock appealed for information after those responsible stole the panels, along with a propane tank, from a container on the former mushroom farm site. They'd been set up by her partner Chris Garrett, who gave his life defusing Russian munitions in Ukraine last year. This morning, Courtney posted to social media saying those behind the theft have now returned the panels, and thanking the community for its response.
🎥 Video
Correspondent Randolph Nogel embeds with The HALO Trust, an international charity working to remove hundreds of landmine fields, a vestige of Angola’s civil war.
📅 Upcoming Events, Courses & Trainings
There are a number of interesting events for the mine action sector in the coming months, and some of the deadlines are approaching quickly.
Organised under the Mine Action Innovation Hub, the Innovation Session 2026: Mine Action in Urban Areas is a three-day, in-person event bringing together mine action practitioners, national authorities, debris management and recovery actors, urban planners, researchers, technology providers, and donors. Applications to participate in the Innovation Session are now open until 17 July 2026.
Felix Connect is a dedicated networking event designed to bring together supporters, partners, and friends of Felix Fund - the bomb disposal charity. It’s a relaxed, welcoming space to connect, network, or simply catch up with familiar faces from across the EOD, Search, defence, and charity communities. The event will be held on 28 September in London. Learn more here.
In December 2026, Rogue Wave Atlantic Row 2026 are taking on ‘the world’s toughest row’ — a month-long, unsupported 3,000-mile expedition from the Canary Islands to Antigua in support of The HALO Trust’s life-saving work. To be part of the journey from the very start by joining the team for an unforgettable black-tie evening at Royal Windsor Racecourse (on Saturday 11 April, from 6pm) with a luxurious three-course dinner, inspiring speakers, auction, raffle, and the official handover of the team’s boat, learn more and get your tickets here.
The Mine Action: Innovation, Sustainability, and Global Partnerships speaker series is structured to address landmine and explosive remnants of war (ERW) challenges through a strictly humanitarian, civilian-protection-oriented framework, with clearly defined ethical, legal, and operational boundaries between humanitarian and military applications of technology. Dates are: FEB 19 | MAR 19 | APR 16 | MAY 21 | JUN 18 | JUL 16 | AUG 20 | SEP 17 | OCT 15 | NOV 19 | DEC 17. Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM ET. Location: Virtual (Zoom Webinar). Register here.
The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD)'s final IMSMA Global training course for 2026 is open for registration: 02 Nov 2026 - 06 Nov 2026 (Application deadline: 2 August 2026).
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