Mines killing civilians in Ukraine
Johnny Miller
Press TV, Severedonetsk
It’s been a year since the launch of a Russian military operation in Ukraine topped news headlines for the first time. There are still no signs of peace as both sides work to boost their military capabilities and strengthen their positions. Our correspondent Johnny miller spoke to some of the people that witnessed the worst of the fighting last year.
Severedonetsk. It was the scene of intense fighting between Russian and Ukrainian troops back in June. Much of it lies in ruins with more than 80% of buildings being damaged. Yet people are slowly returning and life is coming back to the streets.
This is Nicolay Morgunov, the Russian-appointed Mayor. Despite the daunting task of reconstruction, he tells me that the clearing of mines has been the greatest challenge.
Both Russia and Ukraine are laying thousands of mines, on roads, in fields, and in houses. They will kill civilians, long after the fighting ends.
Some houses are marked with “No Mines.” They’ve been cleared and marked as safe.
“Whenever I’m in areas like this, I find myself asking whether people are pro-Russian or pro-Ukrainian. By far the largest group are those who simply want peace to be able to rebuild their lives.”
The Russia-Ukraine war has brought about devastating outcomes. One year into the conflict, some 8 million Ukrainians have been displaced across Europe which amounts to around 20 percent of the country’s population.
Millions more have been displaced internally and thousands of soldiers have lost their lives on both sides. Still, it seems that the two sides will not be sitting at the negotiating table anytime soon.
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