Estonia Delivers Aid for Underwater Mine Clearance to Ukraine

Ukrainian rescue workers have received a batch of aid for underwater mine clearance from Estonia.

As the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine reports, Estonian rescue workers delivered 90 metal detectors and four specialised vehicles to their Ukrainian counterparts from Mykolaiv on 1 August.

It is noted that Mykolaiv rescue workers also received humanitarian aid from the municipality of the German city of Sindelfingen.

"The donors delivered fire-extinguishing agent (Solberg RE-HEALING RF 3x6 ATC 3%-6 foaming agent), foam pipes, dispensers for foaming agent, cable drums, fire axes, searchlights and much more for the needs of Mykolaiv firefighters," the ministry said in a statement.

Earlier, during the recent Ramstein-format meeting, Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas announced the creation of a mine-clearance coalition to help Ukraine. 

Lithuania became one of the participants of the Northern European-Lithuanian Minesweeper Training Initiative (NLETI), which provides for four training sessions during 2023, with the aim of training and teaching Ukrainian bomb disposal experts.

It will likely take at least a decade to clear Ukraine of mines, as was estimated earlier this year by UK Defence Intelligence.