Ukraine Is Littered With Landmines. These People Volunteered to Defuse Them.

This article originally appeared on VICE Germany.

The Russian POM-3 "Medallion" is an especially cruel landmine. You don't need to step on it to set it off – its seismic sensor reacts to the vibrations of human footsteps. Once activated, it shoots an explosive device to chest level, blowing up people’s necks and heads. The blast also fires up to 2,000 metal fragments which can kill or maim people within a 16-metre radius. 

Just like all other anti-personnel mines, POM-3 mines were actually banned by the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, which was signed by Ukraine but not by Russia. This means that technically, their use is illegal under international law only for Ukraine, posing a legal conundrum.

In September 2022, German photojournalist Jan Schneidereit travelled to Ukraine to document the use of these devices, which has been confirmed by multiple organisations, including the Human Rights Watch. During his trip, Schneidereit wasn’t able to locate any of them, but he did meet up with a group of international volunteers who put their lives at risk to clear these landmines.

The Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team mainly consists of ex-military personnel from different countries. They operate from a base in the Sumy province in north-eastern Ukraine, which is only about 15km from the Russian border and thus within range of artillery and drones. The exact location of their base is secret for security reasons.

The team not only defuses mines, but also train units of the Ukrainian military to conduct these operations. According to Schneidereit, the volunteers receive no compensation for their work.

Schneidereit said the first major mission of the EOD team was at Hostomel Airport, a military strip near Kyiv where Russian troops landed hours after Putin declared the invasion.

So far, no one in the team has been injured. Schneidereit was told by EOD members that the team’s most dangerous operation occurred on the Soledar front in the Donetsk region, where the EOD team came under heavy Russian artillery fire. The team decided to retreat behind Ukrainian lines, but was then fired upon by Ukrainian soldiers who mistook the vehicle speeding towards them for an enemy attack. Luckily, the situation didn’t escalate.

Schneidereit also had a chance to speak to some of the members of the team. Jonathan Baynard grew up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and served in the British Army. He said he decided to give up his well-paying job at a tech company in Zurich to do something about the historical injustice Russia is perpetrating against Ukraine.

Kristina R., who asked not to share her last name for personal security reasons, was born in Ukraine and left a lot behind to join the team. Before this, she had a comfortable life in England, where she grew up, and a job at a tech company. Kristina is the only team member not to have served in the military, but she previously completed an EOD clearing course in Kosovo. Inside the group, she not only defuses the explosives, but also translates between Ukrainian and English speakers.

The EOD team is organised on a grassroots level and makes decisions together. Sometimes, for instance, they decided not to go on missions that are too sensitive.

Nevertheless, the group seems to have an unofficial leader: Markian, who also requested to be mentioned on a first name basis for security reasons. Markian was born in Ukraine and moved to Canada with his mother in 1989 when he was 14 years old. There, he served in the military, where he learned how to clear mines. Now, he leads the group’s training courses.

“Markian is thinking of staying until the war ends,” Schneidereit said. “But for the EOD people, the war won't end with the last shot, but with the last landmine being cleared. And that could take another 40 years.”

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