Metal detector in hand, the Ukrainian emergency service combs a wooded area in the north of the Kharkiv province. It is a place that Russia invaded at the beginning of the war and undertook to undermine it inch by inch. When Kyiv recaptured it in the great counter-offensive last September, walking on that land became mortally dangerous.

The bomb squads find what was a missile and load it on their shoulder. In the field there are explosives of all kinds. Some can explode at the slightest contact. Mykolaone of the team members, narrates: “Many deminers have died, including some of my acquaintances. It’s complicated.”

The special envoy of laSexta, Alberto Sicily, he witnesses how Mykola and his companions do not stop removing bombs. It is estimated that more 300,000 square kilometers from Ukraine are mined. It is a matter of life or death to attend to the signs left by the deminers. Mykola assures that “it is important that civilians understand the signs of no trespassing by mine.”

Sometimes it is impossible to avoid tragedies like that of Alexander. He was walking with a woman when they came across a mine that sliced ​​off his foot. “She passed and I didn’t. I stepped on the mine. There were leaves and grass and I didn’t see anything.”

Deminers have already removed more than 320,000 explosive objects, but there is a long task ahead. Kyiv’s economy ministry believes it will take 70 years to clear the country of mines russian bombs. A task that will cost 4,000 million euros according to the forecasts of the Ukrainian government. 25 countries, including Germany, Canada and Italy, contribute funds to carry out the important mission of making Ukrainian soil safe.