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Ukraine must demine 12,000 km2 of liberated areas in Kharkiv region
An emergency service official said on Wednesday (Sep 21), Ukraine is beginning work to demine 12,000 square km (4,633 square miles) of territory wrested back from Russian control in the eastern Kharkiv region, Reuters reported.
Roman Prymush also said in a briefing that it could take several years to demine the area, which is bigger than the state of Qatar, and that the United States, Britain and Canada would help with the work.
Ukraine consolidated its control of the Kharkiv region on Tuesday (Sep 13), raising flags on towns and villages occupied by Russian troops for six months, and reclaiming areas seized by Moscow on the first day of Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
In the space of a few days Ukraine has pushed the Russians out from more than 6,000 sq km of territory, including zones in the south of the country where a separate counter-offensive is ongoing to recapture the city of Kherson.
This is #Izyum, #Kharkiv region, east #Ukraine, after liberation from nearly 6 months of Russian occupation. The Russians destroyed houses, schools, hospitals, churches and bridges in the city. #Russia only brings death and destruction. pic.twitter.com/ejxgC0uJ5F
— Alex Kokcharov (@AlexKokcharov) September 13, 2022
Video confirmed the scale of the damage. It showed pulverised high-rise apartment blocs, trashed schools, blown up bridges, and burnt-out Russian military vehicles marked with the letter Z.
Russia at war not so much with Ukrainian army as with collective West
The Kremlin used Izium as a garrison and arms depot in its operation to seize the Donbas.
Kharkiv is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine. Located in the northeast of the country, it is the largest city of the historic Slobozhanshchyna region.
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