Metinvest provided UAH 9.5 million for the construction of the Mine Action Center

One of the main tasks of the center will be professional training of sappers

Since November, the Mine Countermeasures Center of the State Special Service of Transport has opened in Chernihiv region, with the Metinvest group as its construction partner through the United 24 state fundraising platform. It is stated in the company’s press release.

The total amount of the group’s investments in construction amounted to UAH 9.5 million. Thanks to the financial support of the company, the capital administrative building of the center was erected.

One of the main tasks of the Center will be professional training of sappers. The plan is to train more than 3,000 specialists who will be engaged in humanitarian demining of territories heavily polluted by mines after hostilities.

Such a center is a new format of response to an urgent problem. As a result of hostilities, Ukraine became the most mined country in the world. The area of ​​de-occupied territory contaminated by mines is now about 45,000 square km, and with the complete deoccupation of the country’s territory, it will increase by approximately 190,000 square km. Therefore, the issue of certification, education and training of sappers and demining specialists needs to be solved immediately.

«Mine clearance of Ukraine’s territory after the war is one of the biggest challenges that our society will face. Thousands of homes, estates, fields and businesses, like our Azovstal, bear these consequences of war. They will be reminders of the hostilities for many years after they end. We should not leave such a dangerous heritage for our children or grandchildren to accidentally discover 50 years from now,» noted Yuriy Ryzhenkov, CEO of the Metinvest group.

He emphasized that the investment in the opening of the Mine Action Center is another step of the Metinvest group and its shareholder in the big project to promote demining of Ukraine. Ryzhenkov is convinced that systematic approaches to mine action should be implemented throughout the country.

«Two years ago, a capsule was laid in the foundation of the modern office building that stands before us today thanks to the State Transport Service’s partners, United 24 and Metinvest Group. The centre was created to plan, organise and coordinate mine action activities. Today, the centre certifies mine action operators, inspects the quality of demined areas, manages information and provides scientific support for mine action. We also inform the public about the risks associated with explosive ordnance,» said the head of the center, colonel Yevhen Biryukov.

Metinvest from the first days of the full-scale invasion transferred production to military rails, systematically helps the defenders and arms the Ukrainian army. During the year and a half of military aggression, Rinat Akhmetov’s company through «Steel Front» initiative has already allocated UAH 2 billion to support the defenders of Ukraine.

As GMK Center reported earlier, Metinvest throug «Steel Front» initiative has established serial production and supply of anti-mine trawls for the Armed Forces. They are made from Ukrainian steel at the group’s enterprises in our country. The units are mounted on tanks for neutralizing and detonating anti-tank and anti-personnel mines.