OSCE donates equipment for the removal of the unexploded ordnance to State Emergency Service of Ukraine

KYIV, Ukraine, 14 April 2016 – On behalf of the OSCE Secretariat and in close cooperation with the Project Coordinator in Ukraine (PCU), Deputy to the OSCE Project Co-ordinator in Ukraine Jeffrey Erlich donated today to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SESU) the first lot of equipment for the removal of unexploded ordnances (UXO) in Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

The Head of the State Emergency Service stressed that “the OSCE assistance project and German contribution was the first one to support the demining efforts of SESU. The equipment and tools will be used by the demining teams in Donetsk and Luhansk region to clean up the territories from the ERW safer and more efficiently”

The donated equipment will enhance the capacity of the SESU EOD teams to deal with urgent ERW clean-up tasks in eastern Ukraine and thus contribute to the overall efforts of the Ukrainian government to eliminate risks to the local population posed by the ERW as a result of the 2014-2015 hostilities in. In addition, some of the equipment will facilitate development of the standard operating procedures in the EOD field, bringing them in line with international best practices.

“The OSCE provides a range support to mine-action authorities in Ukraine, including equipment, establishing a digital map of hazardous and cleared areas, and training to help Ukrainian deminers more quickly and safely assist in the rehabilitation and restoration of communities affected by the conflict”, said Jeffrey Erlich.

Deputy to the Ambassador of Germany in Ukraine Wolfgang Bindseil pointed out that “the German Federal Office for Foreign Affairs was the first to support the OSCE Project addressing the ERW problem in Ukraine, which emerged after the conflict in the east of the country.  Donors will be in a position to support further assistance projects in Ukraine if a specialized mine action authority would be of non-military nature. “

The equipment, which includes 22 sets of bullet proof vests and Kevlar helmets, 22 handheld radios and 4 vehicle radios, 3 desktop computers, 5 monitors and 5 GPS devices,  was procured within the framework of the project “Assistance to the Government of Ukraine in Clearing the Territories in the East of Ukraine from Explosive Remnants of War (ERW)”.  The next lot of equipment is currently under procurement and includes double cab pick-up vehicles, metal detectors and systems, and various explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) tools and devices.

The project, with a budget of 1 million euro, was initiated in 2015, after the OSCE conducted an assessment visit to the eastern regions of Ukraine to identify the needs and scope of assistance at a request of the SESU. The project was supported and fully funded by the German Federal Office for Foreign Affairs.