In brief

• Ukraine's demining authority has restricted planning of new humanitarian clearance 20 to 50 km from the front and the Russian border.
• The limit covers six regions, including Donetsk, Kharkiv and Sumy, and applies to sites where work has not started.
• Ongoing clearance is to be finished where security allows, with priority for evacuation and emergency response.

Scope of the restriction

The Ministry of Defence said the national body on demining activity decided at an extraordinary meeting to restrict the planning of new humanitarian demining tasks on certain territories located 20 to 50 km from the line of combat contact and from the state border with Russia (Україна обмежує нове розмінування у 50-кілометровій зоні від фронту та кордону – Suspilne) (Розмінування на 20-50 км від фронту призупинено в 6 областях | Новини МОУ – gov.ua). The decision was taken under the chairmanship of Deputy Defence Minister Vasyl Shkurakov.

The measure covers possibly contaminated and contaminated areas in Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv and Sumy regions (Міноборони повідомило про обмеження нових заходів гуманітарного розмінування у шести областях – com.ua). It applies to sites where work has not yet started (Поблизу фронту і кордону з рф ввели обмеження щодо розмінування | УНН – unn.ua).

What continues

Officials stressed that the decision does not mean demining is being halted. Where clearance has already begun, the work is to be finished if the situation allows and does not interfere with the tasks of the Defence Forces.

Within the 50 km zone, priority will go to urgent response measures: evacuation of residents, rescue operations, access to shelters, medical and humanitarian aid, and response to threats from explosive objects. Well-founded requests for unscheduled humanitarian clearance remain possible.

Rationale

The ministry cited security risks as the reason for the limit. Shkurakov said humanitarian demining remains a priority even in frontline districts, and that a risk-based approach is needed to balance the safety of deminers with the needs of frontline communities.

The announcement came on 26 October 2026.