The war in Ukraine is not only raging at the front. It’s also in the ground.
Feb 24, 2026, 8:43 p.mFeb 24, 2026, 8:43 p.m
You can end a war and still continue it on the ground. In Ukraine, the explosions will not stop even if there is an official ceasefire.
Tripped yourself? A Russian deminer searches an occupied Ukrainian territory.image: dpa
While the fighting continues on the front, a threat is growing in fields, forests and even rivers that is likely to have an impact for decades: landmines and cluster munitions as well as other explosive parts.
Aid organization: A quarter of Ukraine is contaminated
According to a recent study by the aid organization Handicap International (HI), around a quarter of Ukrainian territory may be contaminated with landmines, cluster munitions and other explosive remnants of war. This emerges from a statement from the organization.
Specifically, HI speaks of 138,503 square kilometers of land area and 14,000 square kilometers of water that are potentially affected. This makes Ukraine one of the countries in the world most heavily contaminated with explosive contaminated sites.
Dr. Eva Maria Fischer, head of the political department at Handicap International Germany, explains according to the statement:
“The contamination hinders agricultural production, makes reconstruction more difficult and limits access to humanitarian aid.”
Entire communities have lost access to vital land for farming and grazing, driving rural households into greater poverty and more dependent on aid.
So it’s not just about the acute risk of explosion and injury. It is also about economic existence and the question of whether people can return to their homeland.
Mines in Ukraine: Danger for returnees, children and helpers
According to HI, the actual extent of the contamination can only be determined precisely after the fighting has ended. One thing is already clear: the consequences will affect generations.
Since the start of the large-scale invasion in 2022, Handicap International says it has informed around 230,000 people in Ukraine about the risks of unexploded bombs, mines and cluster munitions.
The focus is particularly on people near the front and children. The teams explain how to detect explosive remains, what to do in an emergency and how injured people can be safely evacuated. In addition, posters are distributed and radio spots are placed. Humanitarian aid workers are also trained. The goal is banal and existential at the same time: to prevent curiosity, ignorance or one wrong step from ending in death.
“Weakening of the principle of protecting the civilian population”
In its statement, Handicap International also sharply criticizes the ongoing Russian attacks on civilian areas. The organization speaks of indiscriminate attacks on civilians, medical and humanitarian personnel, as well as on schools, health facilities and other civilian infrastructure.
Fischer warns: “We see a serious weakening of the principle of protecting the civilian population. This principle states that civilians must be spared and protected from the effects of armed conflict.”
The organization strongly condemns the widespread use of explosive weapons with large-scale effects in populated areas.
And further: “We call on the international community to finally implement international legal obligations to protect the civilian population.”
The organization also points to specific fates such as that of 75-year-old Lidiya, who fell victim to a cluster bomb attack; or of Yuliia, who lost both legs and her eyesight in a mine explosion.