Japan on Tuesday delivered its first shipment of mine-clearing vehicles to Ukraine as part of a 91 billion yen ($563 million) grant for the country’s reconstruction.
The Japanese government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency provided four mine clearance vehicles to the Ukrainian State Emergency Services at a ceremony near Kiev.
About 20 units are scheduled for delivery this year. During the ceremony, Ukrainian Interior Minister Igor Klymenko expressed his gratitude for the Japanese assistance.
The mine clearer, produced by Nikken, a construction machinery manufacturer based in Minami-Alps, Yamanashi Prefecture, is the first type of excavator to be used in Ukraine. It offers versatile functions, such as removing rubble and felling trees, by changing the tip of the arm. Mine clearers made by the company have already been used in Cambodia and Afghanistan.
More than 140,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian land, or a quarter of the country’s total, is contaminated with landmines or unexploded ordnance, mainly in western and southern areas where the fight against Russia continues. It will take decades to remove them, a senior Ukrainian government official said.
Nikken President Makoto Amemiya said his company is not only willing to provide machines, but also to help build communities.
The handover ceremony was initially scheduled for Monday, but was postponed after Russia launched massive missile attacks on several locations in Ukraine.
