At the Cypriot National Guard camp, Ukrainians are being trained to identify, locate and dispose of mines and other unexploded ordnance, which has caused hundreds of people, including children, to suffer, killed or maimed.

Analysts say Ukraine is among the countries most affected by landmines and dropped explosives as a result of the ongoing war led by Russia.

According to UN data, about 399 people have been killed and 915 wounded by landmines and other munitions since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, equal to the number of casualties reported from 2014 to 2021. At least 1 out of 10 of those victims were children.

The economic impact is costing the Ukrainian economy billions. Landmines and other munitions prevent the sowing of 5 million hectares or 10 percent of the country's agricultural land.

Cyprus has offered its facilities as part of the European Union's military assistance mission to Ukraine. So far, almost 100 members of the Ukrainian armed forces have participated in three cycles of training in the last two years, said the spokesman of the Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Theodoros Gotsis.

"We are committed to continuing this support as long as necessary," Gotsis told The Associated Press, adding that the Cypriot government is covering the 250.000-euro training costs.

Cyprus decided to offer such training because of its own problems with landmines dating back five decades when the island nation was ethnically divided and Turkey invaded after a coup that sought union with Greece.

The United Nations has removed some 27.000 landmines from the buffer zone that cuts through the island, but minefields remain on both sides. The Cypriot government says it has removed all landmines in accordance with its obligations under an international treaty banning the use of such munitions.

In Cyprus, the Ukrainians undergo rigorous theoretical and practical training during a five-week course in basic demining and clearance, which includes instruction in the identification and safe handling of landmines and other explosive munitions, such as rockets, 155 mm artillery shells, rocket grenades and mortar shells

Theoretical training uses inert ammunition identical to real explosives.

Most of the course consists of hands-on training focused on in-situ destruction of unexploded ordnance using explosives, the chief training officer told The Associated Press. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to reveal his identity for security reasons.

"They are trained in ordnance disposal using real explosives," the officer said. "That will be the primary task of the interns when they return.

Defusing dropped munitions or landmines in areas where explosive charges cannot be used – for example near a hospital – is not part of this course as it is the task of highly trained teams of disposal experts whose training may it lasts as long as eight months. said the officer.

The participants, divided into groups of eight, are taught how to operate metal detectors and other ammunition detection tools. Another tool is the sensor, a rod used to detect ammunition trapped in a trap. There are many ways to trap such munitions, unlike landmines which require direct pressure to detonate.

"Crack-trapped ammunition is a widespread phenomenon in Ukraine," explained the chief training officer.

The training, which is primarily conducted by experts from other European Union countries, takes place in both forest and urban areas at various army camps and follows strict security protocols.