Switzerland to send remote-controlled deminer to Ukraine
A Swiss remote-controlled mine-clearing machine is ready to be sent to Ukraine, the defence ministry said on Tuesday.
The machine was designed by the non-profit foundation Digger, with the aim of safely, quickly and efficiently clearing mines from areas of Ukraine that have been contaminated since the start of the war.
The machine has been handed over to the defence ministry (DDPS), according to a ministry press releaseExternal link. It is a DIGGER D-250, a type of tracked vehicle designed for mine clearance in rural areas.
It will be transported to Ukraine by lorry and is scheduled to arrive for September. Transport will be organised by the Geneva-based association Van For Life.
The aim of this Swiss machine is to assist the Ukrainian disaster relief service in clearing mines “quickly, carefully and efficiently”, says the press release.
These explosive charges are scattered tactically in war zones, to be detonated when people or vehicles pass by.
In June, Frédéric Guerne, director and founder of the Digger Foundation, told Keystone-SDA that the project was the result of an initiative by defence minister Viola Amherd.
He added that a second machine of the same type should be ready for delivery to Ukraine by the end of the year, while a third project is under way.
In addition, specialists from the Bern-based non-profit foundation Digger will train the Ukrainian authorities on site in the use of the DIGGER-250.
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