Mit Magzter GOLD unbegrenztes Potenzial nutzen

Mit Magzter GOLD unbegrenztes Potenzial nutzen

Erhalten Sie unbegrenzten Zugriff auf über 9.000 Zeitschriften, Zeitungen und Premium-Artikel für nur

$149.99
 
$74.99/Jahr

Versuchen GOLD - Frei

Deadly job keeping land free of lethal mines

Daily Express

|

December 30, 2024

GRANDFATHER-of-two Vitaliy Yarovyi sweeps a metal detector over the soil, listening for a highpitched beep. When he hears a signal he places down a marker then kneels and painstakingly rakes through the dirt with a brush and magnet, searching for metal fragments.

- Hanna Geissler

Vitaliy, 57, is one of the Halo Trust's courageous "de-miners" who are working across warravaged regions of Ukraine to find and remove deadly landmines and unexploded ordnance.

The charity has rapidly grown from around 400 staff members before Putin's full-scale invasion in February 2022 to more than 1,500 today.

The Express travelled to Kharkiv in east Ukraine, where daily bombardment continues, to witness Halo's efforts to make vast swathes of land once occupied by Russian forces safe again.

Vitaliy used to work as a thermal power plant engineer but his station in Severodonetsk was shelled and destroyed. He has been a de-miner since April.

He says: "My daughter received a [job] offer first but our family decided I should be the one to do it if my health allows.

"I have two granddaughters living in Kharkiv and I want them to run around a free land, not this hazardous area that we have been left with."

Contaminated

The field around Vitaliy is a hive of activity, with a dozen other de-miners working on sections of land.

All wear protective Kevlar vests and visors that must only be removed during short during short breaks signalled by whistle blasts.

About an hour's drive from Kharkiv city the area which we are not naming to protect Halo's staff was under Russian occupation for six months before its liberation in September 2022.

The invaders used nearby treelines for defensive positions and to launch shells towards the city leaving the land contaminated with anti-tank mines, unexploded ordnance, grenades and anti-personnel mines, some of which were rigged whose with tripwires.

WEITERE GESCHICHTEN VON Daily Express

Daily Express

Daily Express

Avoid making a bad call on a new smartphone

As AI hoovers up data storage capacity, experts warn it will send phone costs skyrocketing. Deputy technology editor HENRY BURRELL outlines what you need to know

time to read

4 mins

January 21, 2026

Daily Express

100,000 older patients in A&E waited more than 24 hours for bed

MORE than 100,000 over-65s waited between one and three days in A&E before a ward bed could be found in 2024/25, analysis by Age UK reveals.

time to read

2 mins

January 21, 2026

Daily Express

Daily Express

Short night's work for champ Sinner

JANNIK SINNER was fit and firing as he started his quest for a third straight Australian Open title against Hugo Gaston.

time to read

1 min

January 21, 2026

Daily Express

Daily Express

BODO BOZOS

Guardiola's Arctic Circle of Hell as City crash and Rodri sees red

time to read

2 mins

January 21, 2026

Daily Express

Daily Express

Pros and cons of downsizing in retirement

OPTIONS Lots to consider when it comes to your home

time to read

2 mins

January 21, 2026

Daily Express

Daily Express

TOUGH WEEK BUT NO SZOB STORY

Dom vows to put pen pain & cup howler behind him

time to read

2 mins

January 21, 2026

Daily Express

Daily Express

Jeffrey Archer: At age 85, I've written my final novel

MASTER storyteller Jeffrey Archer has revealed that he has written his final novel at the age of 85 after selling some 300 million copies of his books.

time to read

3 mins

January 21, 2026

Daily Express

Daily Express

Having read his explosive Insta post I felt weird about Brooklyn... pity

I ALWAYS had Brooklyn Beckham down as a thick, spoiled, entitled nepo baby — the kind of young man who, thank God, was born into huge wealth and privilege, because it was clear he wasn’t equipped to make his own way in the world.

time to read

4 mins

January 21, 2026

Daily Express

Frances Millar

To be frank...

time to read

3 mins

January 21, 2026

Daily Express

Daily Express

Harry claims secrets of life with Chelsy were stolen

PRINCE Harry claims he faced a “sustained campaign of attacks” because he “had the temerity to stand up to” the Daily Mail’s publisher, the High Court has been told.

time to read

1 min

January 21, 2026

Listen

Translate

Share

-
+

Change font size