The Ukrainian government has approved a decision that will allow agricultural land plots with potential mine contamination to be returned to productive use more quickly, even if they formally retain a “contaminated” legal status. This was announced by Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, ProAgro Group reports.

“We have amended the procedure for inspecting land plots that receive tax benefits due to potential mine contamination. From now on, local authorities will check whether such land is actually used for its intended purpose. This information will be transferred to the Humanitarian Demining Center, where mine action specialists will conduct non-technical surveys to confirm or refute contamination,” Svyrydenko said.

If a land plot is actively cultivated, tax benefits will be cancelled.

“According to the GRIT platform, more than 10,000 hectares are currently both cultivated and officially classified as potentially contaminated. These plots are a priority, as they can be safely returned to use. Every hectare of Ukrainian land must be used efficiently. This is one of the steps in the government’s systematic demining efforts,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

The government is also strengthening the sector by increasing the number of demining operators, specialized equipment and overall capacity to accelerate clearance operations.

Since February 2022, a total of 49,415 square kilometers of territory affected by explosive hazards has already been returned to productive use. In 2025 alone, 21,683 square kilometers were restored.

“Demining is the foundation for recovery and for bringing people back to their communities,” Svyrydenko noted.

As reported earlier, in 2025, within the framework of the state compensation program for demining costs, mine action operators returned more than 12,000 hectares of agricultural land to use.

Source: Ukrinform