On 2 December, the Demine Ukraine Forum took place in Kyiv, organised by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine. The event brought together representatives from the public, civic, and business sectors to summarise progress and address new challenges in the field of humanitarian demining.
The multifunctional demining platform GCS-100 on display is currently operating in Balakliia, Kharkiv region, where it has already cleared 157,000 m² of land. In a panel discussion “Production and Localisation of Demining Equipment in Ukraine”, GCS Ukraine General Manager Dmytro Salimonov gave his insights on topics which remain at the top of the humanitarian demining agenda in Ukraine.
As Dmytro highlighted, GCS Ukraine – which will celebrate two years operating in Ukraine shortly – contributes to the economy of Ukraine in a number of effective ways: employing Ukrainians, contributing to national tax revenues, overcoming challenges faced by industry and business in Ukraine with our experience and expertise.
Dmytro demonstrated the power of cooperation and international investment, providing the capital needed for capacity sharing. Today, 57 multifunctional demining platforms produced by Global Clearance Solutions are operating in Ukraine. The majority of these machines were donated by foreign governments. For example, just this autumn, Switzerland donated to Ukraine three GCS-200 machines and a service package valued at 4.6 million CHF .
As well as capacity sharing, where international investment combines with Ukraine’s own workforce and other own resources, capacity bridging is another aspect in which GCS are global leaders: in early 2022, when demining became a pressing issue, Ukraine’s defence industry wasn’t fully prepared to deliver fast, effective solutions. International companies and organisations stepped in to fill this gap. Since then, Ukrainian companies have developed their own mechanised demining equipment, such as Rovertech’s “Zmiiy” and machinery from Kharkiv Tractor Engineering.
Dmytro concludes: “The demining market is open, which is a significant step forward. Prozorro is working, and the first tenders have been completed. However, most certified operators cannot afford either Ukrainian or foreign equipment due to high costs. This is where collaboration and equipment leasing become key. At GCS, we’ve already begun working on solutions and will share updates soon.
“Localising foreign equipment isn’t just about saving lives — it’s about strengthening the economy. We began our localisation process in 2023 and have already invested over €2 million into our infrastructure and Ukraine’s economy. We’ve established an office in Kyiv with 35 employees, opened a machine maintenance base, and assembled mobile teams to address breakdowns on-site. Looking ahead, we’re exploring the production of localised spare parts and expanding into equipment leasing.“
Also addressing the conference was Yulia Svyrydenko, First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine and Minister of Economic Development and Trade, who has been instrumental in creating conditions and a marketplace for demining in Ukraine.
Everyone at GCS is committed to the path ahead and we’re heading in the right direction. Partnerships between governments, businesses, and communities drive innovation, fuel economies, and bring us closer to our ultimate goal — a mine-free globe.