According to a recent report in the Washington Post, the Dunbas region in east Ukraine is quickly becoming one of the most mined regions in the world. Since the Russian annexation of the Crimea in 2014, use of landmines on both sides of the conflict has left a deadly legacy buried in Ukrainian fields. There have been 1, 796 landmine casualties in eastern Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict, including 238 civilians killed and another 491 injured.
Demining groups and government forces are working to demine areas behind the current front line, but are unable to reach the areas proximate to the line – where most of the minefields are – or areas currently held by separatist forces.
Many of the casualties in the Ukraine have been caused by anti-vehicular mines (AVMs). In 2016, a quarter of all global AVM casualties (101), occurred in Ukraine. Deminers have also uncovered directional fragmentation mines, bounding fragmentation mines, and “black widow” and “green parrot” mines in the region