Drones are changing the way we search for deadly mines and threats in Ukraine | World

Drones are changing the way we search for deadly landmines and unexploded ordnance in Ukraine, allowing experts to safely survey the area in more detail than ever before.

The humanitarian organization Halo Trust flew over 1,400 hours in 2024 in regions contaminated during the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Handheld flights are primarily used for reconnaissance of areas that are being investigated to identify potential threats and evidence.

Michael Nevard, Halo’s director of capabilities, said: “Our research teams have successfully used small drones to identify and confirm numerous pieces of unexploded ordnance, including landmines, rockets, rockets and grenades, in various areas during the investigation phase.

“For example, in Kherson Oblast, our research teams managed to identify a new line of anti-tank mines on a track between trees that had not been identified during a previous non-drone survey.”

Halo’s three regional drone teams include seven pilots trained to fly large drones equipped with high-resolution cameras to create high-quality maps of minefields. About 80 pilots have also been trained to operate small map-enabled drones.

The Daily Express has witnessed the impact of this technology in the east Ukrainewhere we watched drone pilot Valentyna Wystozopska (24) expertly take photos in a location about an hour’s drive from Kharkov.

She said her team is also starting to use artificial intelligence to analyze images and speed up the process, but for now it is making more mistakes than humans. Valentyna added: “Sometimes artificial intelligence can, for example, mistake a sunflower for a landmine.”

In 2024, Halo drones spent over 85,800 minutes in the sky, covering an area of almost 14 million square meters.

Nevard added: “In total, we have over 100 drones operating under the program for a variety of purposes, including research, operations and clearance.

“We have identified over 11,000 points of evidence, ranging from anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines to military positions and other forms of unexploded ordnance.

“Drone technology is also key to ensuring that before we start working, we know as much as possible about each minefield and can apply the right clearance technology in the right place.”

Halo “has always been an innovator in the use of technology in mine warfare,” Nevard said, and previously pioneered the use of heavy machinery and advanced electronic detectors.

Almost 20 years ago, the charity began using detectors equipped with ground-penetrating radar, which can distinguish landmines from other metal debris. Under the right conditions, this can increase efficiency by 400%.

Other new technology includes a magnetic resonance sensor manufactured by Australian technology company MRead, which is currently being used in Angola.

Remotely controlled machines can also reduce the risk for people working in the most dangerous places. This includes machines to clear vegetation and remove trip wires, and excavators that can be operated from a safe distance to remove land mines.

Nevard said he believes research methods in the future will use multiple layers of remote sensing, including satellite and drone imagery, analyzed using artificial intelligence, to obtain precise and detailed planning information.

But some jobs will remain faster and easier with the human touch. He added: “The cleanup technology will include detectors with a much lower false alarm rate than today, so that almost every detection will be a landmine.

“Most landmines will be extracted using some type of semi-autonomous machine.

“Directing and managing equipment, as well as scanning with detectors, will likely remain a human activity for a long time to come. “Waving a detector is generally not dangerous work, and it is faster and easier to do with a human than a robot.”