Ukrainian Red Cross warns of land mine threat "for decades"

The head of the Ukrainian Red Cross has told DW that Russian land mines are spread across "significant areas" of the country. He said the mines pose a threat to civilians, humanitarian work and reconstruction efforts.

As Russia's invasion of Ukraine drags on into another year, Maksym Dotsenko, secretary general of Ukraine's Red Cross, told DW that his organization is facing a "huge" humanitarian challenge.

This includes supporting internally displaced people who live in the west of Ukraine, evacuating people from the east, and supporting those whose apartments and houses were damaged or destroyed.

However, Dotsenko said land mines left behind by Russian troops make accessing affected areas "very difficult" for humanitarian workers, who cannot always reach those in need due to security reasons.

Dotsenko also noted that his branch of the Red Cross does not have access to territories in Ukraine that are not currently under the control of the Ukrainian government and works with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to coordinate aid.

He added that the Red Cross tries to organize demining operations with the help of military forces as "significant areas" have been mined. However, demining operations can often take years.