Baku, Kyiv deepen cooperation in mine clearance PHOTO

Ukrainian Ambassador to Baku Yuriy Husyev met with the head of the Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA), to discuss collaboration on mine clearance.

"Met with Vugar Suleymanov, Head of ANAMA. Discussed Ukraine–Azerbaijan cooperation on humanitarian demining. Grateful for the support, incl. the Revival-P machine and spare parts for humanitarian demining in Ukraine. Agreed on next steps to deepen our partnership,” Husyev said on X, Caliber.Az reports.

Notably, Azerbaijan has extensive experience in humanitarian demining, particularly following the 2020 Second Karabakh War, which left the Karabakh region and surrounding areas heavily contaminated with Armenian landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). ANAMA, established in 1998, has cleared over 1.5 million mines and UXO across 120,000 hectares by 2025, per ANAMA reports.  

Ukraine faces one of the world’s largest mine contamination challenges due to Russia’s invasion since 2022, with an estimated 156,000 square kilometers—over 25% of its territory—contaminated by mines and UXO, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense.

Azerbaijan’s aid to Ukraine began in 2022, with ANAMA providing technical assistance, training, and equipment. In 2023, Azerbaijan donated two Revival-P machines, designed for clearing anti-personnel and anti-tank mines, along with training for Ukrainian sappers. By 2024, Azerbaijan had sent spare parts and deployed ANAMA experts to Ukraine’s Kharkiv and Sumy regions, aiding in the clearance of 5,000 hectares, per Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. This support aligns with Azerbaijan’s broader humanitarian aid, including $30 million for Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in 2024.

By Khagan Isayev