Ukrainian women in training in Kosovo to clear mines

 Ukrainian women training in Kosovo in mine clearance

 As the focus of the Russian war in Ukraine is shifting eastward, Russian forces are filling the ground with landmines. Six Ukrainian women have begun training in Kosovo to deactivate explosive devices in their war-torn country. They are the first group of Ukrainian deminers to be trained at the MAT Kosova center in the city of Peja.

Instructors are teaching six Ukrainian women how to dispose of unexploded ammunitions, such as cluster munitions, landmines and other explosive remnants. 20-year-old Anastasiia Minchukova says she joined the training to help her country.

"In Ukraine, there is a great demand for people who know how to demine because the war will end soon. We believe there is a lot of work to be done and I say I will be useful to help."

Anastasiia says she misses the normal life she had not so long ago.

"What do I miss? Peace. I dream of peace, of sleeping in my bed without worrying that I will go to the bomb shelter all the time. I miss the people I lost. Yes, the normal life in which we will never return. "

There were numerous unexploded mines left in Kosovo after the war in 1999 until the UN declared it safe from mines in 2001. The rapid success of mine clearance has helped build Kosovo's reputation as a good country for training. Instructor Artur Tigani still has fresh the wounds of war.

"The war is still fresh in our memories, even though almost 23 years have passed. They are still fresh in our memories, the difficulties we encountered when we started clearing mines in Kosovo. So the training center is built on our direct experience."

Yuliia Katelik, 38, is a mother of three from Kramatorsk:

"As a mother, I understand that there is a problem with the mines that is very serious, especially for children. We face a high concentration of the spread of different types of explosive devices and we must work for the safety and well-being of children and people."

Experts say Russian troops have installed numerous mines following their withdrawal from northern Ukraine now that they are focusing eastward, including variants with sensitive sensors that can explode if approached, even without touching them. The fact that many mines are indiscriminately located around populated areas is evidence, observers say, of Moscow's intent to cause destruction and sow fear.