In parts of southern Ukraine, explosive contamination continues to prevent farmers from accessing land that once sustained local livelihoods. Clearing agricultural areas safely is essential not only for individual landowners, but also for food security and economic recovery.

In the village of Shyroke, in the Mykolaiv region, Global Clearance Solutions (GCS) has supported clearance efforts in cooperation with Nibulon and international partners, enabling contaminated farmland to be assessed, cleared and gradually returned to productive use.

Mechanical clearance supporting agricultural recovery

The project brings together mechanical demining capability, local operators and international support. As part of the initiative, GCS-200 remotecontrolled mechanical demining platforms are being used to process contaminated ground and reduce risk to personnel working in heavily affected agricultural areas.

According to operational assessments, each GCS-200 can process approximately 10,000 to 20,000 square metres per day, depending on terrain and contamination, supporting faster land preparation when integrated into structured clearance workflows. Nibulon has received four GCS-200 systems, enabling sustained mechanical clearance across multiple sites.

From survey to land release

Clearance activities are preceded by structured nontechnical and technical survey, allowing contaminated areas to be identified, prioritised and managed systematically. In the Shyroke area, survey work covered several thousand hectares, with highrisk zones identified and isolated while other land could be released for use.

Local landowners have already seen areas returned to cultivation, allowing agricultural activity to resume after long periods of inactivity caused by contamination.

Training and national capacity

The project includes training for Ukrainian operators to ensure that mechanical systems can be deployed safely and maintained over time. Operators and mechanics received structured instruction from GCS specialists, supporting both immediate deployment and longer-term sustainability.

The clearance initiative is supported by DEG Impulse as part of the develoPPP programme, with funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). This international backing enables coordination between technology providers, Ukrainian operators and agricultural stakeholders.

Safe land as the basis for livelihoods

For farmers in regions such as Mykolaiv, clearance is the first step toward restoring livelihoods and contributing to broader food supply chains. Mechanical demining supports this process by accelerating access to land while reducing exposure to explosive hazards.

By combining survey, mechanical clearance, training and international cooperation, GCS contributes to the safe return of agricultural land to use and supports recovery efforts where farming remains central to community resilience.

Get to know landowner Viacheslav Kubrak and see how NIBULON Ltd and Global Clearance Solutions (GCS) partnered to safely eliminate landmines and other explosive remnants of war from his farm and restore his livelihood.

Video credits: Latifundist.com