US vs Russia in Ukraine? Biden govt launches USD 47.6 million demining training project in Eastern Europe

The State Department said on Tuesday that the United States has awarded USD 47.6 million to Tetra Tech, Inc. of California to begin a demining training initiative in Ukraine despite the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine (local time).

"On September 30, the Department awarded $47.6 million to Tetra Tech, Inc. of Pasadena, California to provide urgent humanitarian demining assistance to Ukraine in the face of Russia`s brutal war of aggression," according to a US Department of State statement.

The statement claims that Tetra Tech would improve the Ukrainian government's ability to detect and clear civilian areas of explosive dangers such as landmines, unexploded and abandoned munitions, IEDs, and other similar threats.

Tetra Tech will provide the Ukrainian government's demining and EOD teams with the training and technology they need to operate at the highest international standards. Ukrainian Deminers Association, a non-profit based in the country, is receiving funding for this initiative so that they can send out more clearing teams and explosive ordnance risk education teams.

The statement went on to say that as a result of Russia's illegal war on Ukraine, large areas of the country are now riddled with landmines, unexploded ordnance, and IEDs.

"The explosive hazards block access to farmland, impede reconstruction efforts, prevent displaced people from returning to their homes, and continue to kill and maim innocent Ukrainian civilians. The Government of Ukraine estimates that 160,000 square kilometres of its land may be contaminated - this is roughly the size of Virginia, Maryland, and Connecticut combined," the statement reads.

To remove landmines and explosive weapons of war, as well as to secure and dispose of surplus small arms and light weapons and ammunition, the United States has spent over USD 4.7 billion since 1993. The United States is identified as the greatest financial backer of conventional weapons destruction worldwide.

In September, the State Department indicated that America will pay USD 600 million in extra military support for Ukraine.

Antony Blinken, US State Secretary, said, "I am authorising our twenty-first drawdown of U.S. arms and equipment for Ukraine since September 2021. This USD 600 million drawdown includes additional arms, munitions, and equipment from U.S. Department of Defense inventories."

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He said that the United States, together with its allies and partners, is providing the weapons and supplies that the Ukrainian armed forces are using to successfully oppose Russia's incursion.

Three days after Moscow recognised Donetsk and Luhansk as independent entities, Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24. The United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and the European Union have all condemned Russia's military operations in Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Moscow. All of these nations have pledged to provide Ukraine with military support when it confronts Russia.

(With inputs from ANI)