LocationsA sapper saves lives in Ukraine
Deminer Ivan Shepelev works tirelessly to clear explosive ordnance across Ukraine, finding great reward in protecting lives and health
Ivan Shepelev knew he wanted to save lives. At 27, the soft-spoken deminer from Kropyvnytskyi has dedicated himself to one of Ukraine’s most dangerous professions – clearing the explosive remnants of war that threaten civilians long after battles end.
Even before Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine was among the world’s most heavily mined countries due to the ongoing conflict in the east. Shepelev, who studied in Kharkiv and now works with Kyiv’s Mobile Rescue Centre of Rapid Response under the State Emergency Service, was already clearing mines in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts when the war escalated dramatically.
As soon as Ukrainian forces regained control of Kyiv Oblast, Shepelev and his team moved in. What they found in the liberated territories of Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel was devastation beyond their training. “We saw terrible destruction,” he recalls, “and encountered types of ammunition we knew nothing about.”
The scale of contamination became clear as they expanded operations. In Kharkiv Oblast during spring 2023, they discovered far more explosive ordnance than in the previously occupied areas around Kyiv. In one small fruit orchard alone, deminers found 54 explosive devices – a staggering number that could have claimed countless lives.
The statistics reflect both the enormity of the challenge and the dedication of teams like Shepelev’s. As of July 2025, Ukraine has reclaimed over 35,000 square kilometres of potentially mine-contaminated land since the full-scale invasion began, returning these areas to productive use and safe habitation.
This progress has been possible only through massive international support. Ukraine’s demining organizations received crucial equipment after February 2022 – mine detectors, neutralization devices, body armour, helmets, safety goggles, and first-aid kits. In April 2024 alone, the EU and UNDP provided complete gear for 22 deminer teams, equipping 110 specialists who risk their lives daily to protect others.
The human cost of this work extends beyond statistics. Shepelev recounts working in Kamianka, Kharkiv Oblast, where not a single house survived the fighting. The team found themselves clearing explosives from the local cemetery, which was “littered” with anti-personnel fragmentation mines – the deadly “petal” or “butterfly” mines scattered across the landscape.
One mine lay directly on a carefully tended grave. Though protocol didn’t require removing the self-destructing device, Shepelev and his team chose compassion over procedure. Using a telescopic pole, they carefully removed the mine to preserve someone’s final resting place.
However, the mine exploded as it was moved, sending fragments of the grave marker toward the deminers. Their protective equipment and training saved them, but the incident underscores the deadly nature of even the most humanitarian acts in this profession.
Today, Shepelev divides his time between active humanitarian demining operations and mine safety education, sharing his expertise to prevent civilian casualties. Despite the daily dangers and the weight of responsibility he carries, he maintains hope for Ukraine’s future.
“I want to see the time when every Ukrainian can fully enjoy life,” he says, “and never hear about mines again.”
Until that day arrives, Shepelev and thousands like him continue their patient, perilous work – clearing Ukraine’s soil one mine at a time, making the country safe for the generations to come.
Photo credit: Valentyna Polishchuk / Reporters / UNDP in Ukraine
