FSD

💥 Once Excavated, How Are Explosive Items Destroyed?

In Chernihiv, after FSD deminers find and safely excavate up to a suspected explosive item, an explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) expert then assesses it and determines the safest method of disposal.

To carry out this work, EOD experts use specialised equipment, with different tools serving different purposes:

🔹 Exploders to provide a consistent and reliable controlled initiation signal for the demolition.
🔹 Firing cable reels to connect the firing point to the demolition and transmit the initiation signal.
🔹 Digital ohmmeters to verify the electrical continuity of firing cables prior to the disposal operation.
🔹 Specialised transport boxes for safely moving sensitive detonators and explosive materials when necessary.

Together, these tools help our EOD experts work safely and effectively in challenging environments.

🎮 Demining From a Safe Distance

In the Kharkiv region, FSD teams use a remote-controlled machine to support mechanical demining and ground preparation in contaminated areas, especially large fields. Because the machine is operated from a safe distance, it helps reduce risks to deminers while increasing the efficiency of clearance operations.

Technology like this complements the work of manual demining teams, helping return land to safe use more quickly.

Project supported by 🇨🇭 Swiss Development & Cooperation, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine / Посольство Швейцарії в Україні.

✅ 120,000 Square Metres Safe Land Returned to Chernihiv Communities

Since the beginning of the year, FSD teams have cleared seven areas covering a total of 119,699 square metres in Chernihiv Oblast.

The cleared land includes agricultural areas, residential plots and forests that had been contaminated by explosive ordnance. One of the sites had previously been the location of an explosive ordnance accident in which a local resident was injured.

Following our deminers' meticulous clearance work, all areas successfully passed external quality control and have now been released for the communities to use safely once again.

Project supported by the United States 🇺🇸 U.S. Department of State, U.S. Embassy Kyiv Ukraine.

🛠️ The Right Tool for the Right Task

In the Kharkiv region, FSD teams are carrying out battle area clearance to remove explosive remnants of war left behind by fighting.

Depending on the terrain and the type of contamination, deminers use different detection equipment—from standard metal detectors to large-loop detectors that can identify more deeply buried metal objects, as well as specialised detectors for challenging vegetation.

Battle area clearance often reveals large quantities of explosive ordnance and munitions debris, making the careful investigation of every signal an essential part of the process.

Project supported by 🇨🇭 Swiss Development & Cooperation, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine / Посольство Швейцарії в Україні.

Yesterday, FSD teams were delighted to meet with Secretary Mel Senen S. Sarmiento and representatives of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) to discuss FSD’s current project in Mindanao and our long-standing partnership in support of the ongoing peace process in Bangsamoro.

The meeting was a powerful reminder of the importance of building strong, meaningful partnerships to support the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

A sincere thank you to Secretary Mel Senen S. Sarmiento and the entire OPAPRU team for their warm welcome and the open, constructive dialogue. We look forward to continuing our work together.

👣 Hundreds of people stepped into the maze. For millions, there is no way out.

Over three days in Geneva, visitors experienced "The Only Way Out" and reflected on what it means to live with the threat of landmines and explosive remnants of war.

The maze may have been temporary, but the challenge it represents is not. We continue to raise awareness of why humanitarian mine action matters for the millions of people around the world who live with this danger every day.

Join us to learn more: https://fsd.ch/en/the-only-way-out/

Credits: twks, Loïc Herin

🐄 Supporting Safer Transhumance in the Central African Republic

Creating safe transhumance routes is about more than mapping a path. It requires bringing together local authorities, communities and herders to agree on where livestock can move and rest.

In collaboration with Acpef Rca and GDAP, FSD has helped identify transhumance corridors and livestock resting areas in Bang and Mann by facilitating discussions with herders and community representatives.

These jointly agreed routes will help reduce tensions and support the livelihoods of pastoralist communities. By promoting dialogue, the project contributes to building safer, more resilient communities in the Central African Republic.

Project supported by 🇪🇺 Union européenne en République Centrafricaine, EU International Partnerships.

✅ A Second Demining Team for UCHP

As part of an FSD-led capacity-building programme for Ukrainian mine action operators, a new demining team received training and mentoring from FSD before transferring to UCHP. Having successfully passed the required assessments, the team has begun clearing land contaminated by explosive ordnance.

With two operational teams, UCHP can work simultaneously in more locations and respond more quickly to community needs, particularly in Kharkiv Oblast, one of the regions most heavily contaminated by mines and explosive remnants of war. Together, the two teams cleared almost 45,000 square metres of land in June.

Project supported by 🇨🇭 Swiss Development & Cooperation, Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Embassy of Switzerland in Ukraine / Посольство Швейцарії в Україні.

💡 What Is a Landmine?

How do landmines work? What happens if someone steps on one? Are they banned? Who is responsible for removing them?

Our new article answers some of the most frequently asked questions about landmines and explains the different types of mines, how they are cleared, and why mine action remains essential for affected communities around the world.

👉 Read the article: https://fsd.ch/en/what-is-a-landmine/

What Is a Landmine? Definition, Types and Risks What is a landmine? Discover how landmines work, the different types, the risks they pose and how experts safely destroy them.