Ukraine's mined area 4.5 times larger than entire territory of Switzerland - UNDP

In Ukraine, more than 180 thousand square kilometres of territory need to be cleared of explosive ordnance, which is 4.5 times the size of Switzerland

Asako Okai, director of the United Nations Development Program's Crisis Bureau, told Interfax-Ukraine.

"These are shocking figures. About 30% of the entire territory of Ukraine needs to be cleaned up. More than 180 thousand square kilometers of the country may be contaminated. This is an area 4.5 times larger than Switzerland," she said and called Ukraine one of the world's largest minefields.

According to Okai, more than 10 million Ukrainians are currently in danger.

The UNDP Crisis Bureau Director emphasized that demining is a priority, but it will take decades to clear an area of this magnitude.

She noted that last year, with the support of the UN and international partners, 350,000 explosive devices were defused in Ukraine.

In January, the Interior Ministry reported that 30% of Ukraine's territory was mined.