Ukraine, 3 July 2026 — As Ukraine works to clear thousands of square kilometres of contaminated waterways, a new training facility for underwater deminers has been opened. Built by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine with funding from the Government of France, the facility will strengthen the capacity of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) to train specialists to detect and remove explosive hazards from rivers, lakes and coastal waters.

Located at SESU's underwater demining training centre on the banks of the Dnipro River, the new training complex has been specifically designed to support both the initial training of future underwater deminers and advanced courses for experienced specialists from across the country. Accommodating up to 20 trainees at a time, the complex allows participants to live on site and combine classroom learning with practical exercises conducted immediately adjacent to the training grounds and testing areas for underwater robotic systems.

The handover of the new training complex represents just one element of France’s broader support for Ukraine’s underwater demining sector.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Sébastien Surun, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of France in Ukraine, said: “Since 2022, the French Government has developed very strong cooperation with Ukraine in civil defence and in demining. There are many fields in which we are learning from Ukraine’s experience and from its hard-fought war. However, the introduction of robots into underwater demining, alongside the use of divers, is certainly one area where we’re happy to share our knowledge and expertise, both in terms of training and in human capacity and equipment.”

For Ukraine, underwater demining has become an increasingly important component of humanitarian mine action. More than 133,000 square kilometres of Ukraine’s territory remain potentially contaminated by explosive ordnance following the hostilities. Within this area, an estimated 13,500 square kilometres of inland waterways, as well as the coastal areas of the Black and Azov seas, may also contain explosive hazards.

These underwater threats pose risks not only to local communities but also to strategically important infrastructure and Ukraine’s economic recovery. Rivers and reservoirs are critical transport routes, while hydroelectric facilities and other water infrastructure require safe access for maintenance and operation. Clearing explosive hazards from underwater environments is essential both for protecting lives and restoring economic activity.

Addressing those attending the official opening of the complex, Oleksiy Migrin, Deputy Head of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, thanked France and UNDP for their continued support in strengthening Ukraine's civil protection system.

“Today we’re taking another important step in developing our specialist units and improving professional training, which lies at the heart of operational readiness,” Migrin said. “The importance of international assistance cannot be overstated. Our cooperation with international partners has continued for many years and has already helped save hundreds of lives. Humanitarian demining operations continue every day, and our explosive ordnance disposal teams actively use the advanced equipment provided by our French partners. We also highly value the new skills and experience our deminers gain through the expert support of French instructors.”

The project is an example of the ongoing cooperation between UNDP, Ukrainian government institutions and international partners to support mine action in Ukraine, where the scale of contamination requires sustained investment in specialist skills and the development of operational standards and methodologies.

During the opening ceremony, Auke Lootsma, UNDP Resident Representative in Ukraine, noted:

"We’re here today (not only) for the handover of modular housing, but also to celebrate our broad cooperation on mine action. For us, working with national institutions such as the SESU is very important. The problem of unexploded ordnance, both on land and in water, is a major challenge that will last for many years. Having national institutions and national operators that work professionally and according to international standards is absolutely crucial for achieving good results. What we need in Ukraine is, of course, speed, but we also want to make this as cost-effective an exercise as possible, and the SESU plays a very important role in this."

Media enquiries:

Yuliia Samus, UNDP Ukraine Head of Communications and Advocacy; email: yuliia.samus@undp.org