HI employee during field training in manual demining. March 2026, Kyiv region, Ukraine | © HI
The team underwent intensive preparation to ensure they are fully equipped for this responsibility:
At the Sheriff Demining Training Centre in Kyiv (operating under the Ukrainian State Educational Standard), they spent four weeks combining classroom learning with hands?on field exercises. Each member earned a state?recognized qualification certificate as a Humanitarian Deminer – a milestone that reflects both skill and courage.
They then completed a 40?hour Basic Trauma Life Support (BTLS) course in Dnipro, learning how to respond to injuries in high?risk environments. This training is not just technical; it is about being ready to save the lives of colleagues and civilians in moments of crisis.
In June 2026, after intensive practice and a monitoring visit in Kharkiv, HI Ukraine and its clearance team were officially accredited by the relevant national authorities as operationally ready. This achievement is more than a bureaucratic step: it means that HI’s deminers can now begin the painstaking work of making contaminated land safe again.
HI's AVR and deminers team during the final stage of manual demining certification. June 2026, Kharkiv, Ukraine
Every explosive remnant of war cleared is a field that can be farmed, a road that can be traveled, a playground that children can return to. HI’s investment in training and certification is a promise to communities across Ukraine: that recovery will be inclusive, and safe. By restoring safe access to land and infrastructure, HI’s clearance operations directly contribute to Ukraine’s economic recovery, enabling livelihoods to flourish, communities to rebuild, and inclusive development to take root.
This activity was made possible with the support and funding of CDCS – the Crisis and Support Centre of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs – within the project “Preparatory phase for conducting humanitarian land and underwater clearance in the East of Ukraine”
