More than 12,000 hectares of farmland were returned to use in Ukraine this year through a state-run mine clearance compensation program, according to the Ministry of Economy. The program completed 61 contracts in 2025 worth nearly 713 million hryvnias — around $17 million — and was recently expanded to include private landowners.
State-funded clearance returns farmland to use
Operators of humanitarian demining reclaimed over 120 km² of agricultural land under the government compensation scheme, the Ministry of Economy reported in its summary of 2025. The contracts were signed between the Center for Humanitarian Demining and auction-winning contractors. As part of the program’s growth, deals were signed in 2025 alone to clear over 17,000 hectares or 170 km² at a total value of 1.17 billion hryvnias or approximately $27.5 million.
Expansion opens access to households
An important development this year was the decision to expand compensation eligibility to individual landowners and tenants of agricultural plots. If the land was affected by the war, those who own or rent it can now submit demining applications. Early estimates suggest that up to one million hectares of farmland may fall under these criteria. By year-end, dozens of individual applications had already been submitted and met the program’s conditions.
Certification reform and operator surge
The Ministry of Economy says it's also focused on simplifying the certification process for mine clearance operators. Due to its efforts, the number of certified mine clearance operators nearly doubled in 2025 — from 73 to 134.
International support and digital upgrades
Ukraine continues to receive substantial support from international partners. The combined foreign contribution to humanitarian demining has now reached $1.5 billion. An additional $80 million in commitments was announced during the 2025 international Conference on Humanitarian Demining in Ukraine, which was hosted this year by Japan.
