EU to hand over third group of mine detection dogs to Ukraine

The European Commission will hand over to Kyiv a third group of 12 mine detection dogs to help clear mines on the territory of Ukraine.

As reported by Ukrinform, the ceremony of handing over the dogs to the Ukrainian side will take place on 14 June in Nowy Sącz in Poland's south.

This will be the third and largest group of dogs trained within the initiative by the European Commission's Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs and the EU's External Action Service.

The dogs were trained in Belgium, Poland, Italy, Malta, Luxembourg, and Finland.

In Poland, the dogs underwent a 14-day adaptation course at the Carpathian Border Guard Detachment, during which Ukrainian dog trainers had the opportunity to get to know their new wards.

The ceremony will include a presentation of the dogs' explosive detection capabilities and a symbolic handover to their new Ukrainian guardians.

In general, the European Commission will hand over 50 specially trained mine detection dogs to Ukraine.

The project's estimated budget, which will last until 2025, is €3 million.

The first group of nine mine detection dogs was already handed over to Ukraine in March last year, and the second group, which consisted of nine dogs, was handed over last November.