Landmines

The Documentary Podcast

BBC

Society & Culture, Documentary, Personal Journals

4.3 • 2.6K Ratings

🗓️ 19 July 2025

⏱️ 23 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Hidden landmines and other devices left behind from wars are present in nearly 70 countries and territories, according to the military alliance Nato. Among those is Ukraine, where the war has made it one of the most mine laden countries in the world. Recently, Ukraine joined several other countries bordering Russia in announcing it will withdraw from an international mine ban treaty. Since 1999 that agreement, known as the Ottawa Convention, has prohibited the use, stockpiling and production of anti-personnel mines. We discuss the global impact of the weapon. Researchers say each year more than 5,500 people are killed or injured. Most are civilians. Many are children. We hear from landmine survivors in Ukraine, Iraq, Cambodia, Bosnia and Uganda about how their lives have been changed by landmines. Also, three men in Ukraine, Tajikistan and Syria, discuss why they put their lives at risk by trying to remove landmines. This episode of The Documentary, comes to you from BBC OS Conversations, bringing together people from around the world to discuss how major news stories are affecting their lives.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, I'm Mark Lowen. Welcome to the documentary from the BBC World Service. In BBC OS
0:15.6	conversations, this time we bring people together from around the globe to share their experiences of landmines.
0:22.6	They are present in nearly 70 countries and territories, according to the Military Alliance, NATO.
0:28.6	Among those is Ukraine, where the war has made it one of the most mine-laden countries in the world.
0:34.6	Recently, Ukraine joined several other countries bordering Russia in
0:38.7	announcing it will withdraw from an international agreement banning anti-personnel landmines.
0:44.7	In today's edition, we discuss how lives have been permanently changed. We'll also hear from
0:50.1	three men in Syria, Tajikistan and Ukraine who risk their lives daily working to demine their country.
0:57.9	To be honest with you, I'm doing this because I have seen too many lives destroyed by mines
1:02.8	and an exploded ordinance.
1:04.5	People losing limbs, families are unable to farm their land safely.
1:08.9	So someone has to clear this deadly remnants of war.
1:21.4	Researchers say each year more than 5.5,000 people are killed or injured by landmines. Most are civilians. Many are children.
1:32.9	Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and now Ukraine, a signaling they may leave
1:39.6	the long-standing mine-band treaty, also known as the Ottawa Convention, pointing to security concerns.
1:46.9	Before we play you two messages we've received from Iraq and Ukraine, I should warn you that
1:52.4	during both of the following conversations, you'll hear our guests describing injuries from
1:57.1	explosions due to mines.
2:02.5	My name is Ruslana.
2:05.2	My husband suffered a mine explosion injury in the village of Shurivka.
2:07.1	A river runs through our village,
2:09.1	dividing it into two parts.
	...

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