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Israel’s SmartAID – Sun Flower” team is efficiently mapping large areas spanning hundreds of hectares contaminated with landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW) by deploying drones equipped with advanced AI image recognition software.

The AI identifies potential threats, allowing the team to mark each hazard with specialised mine marker kits. These detailed surveys are then shared with the Safe Stabilisation and Transition Support (SSTS) teams and local Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) police teams, who use the data to safely clear the fields, restoring them for secure use. Ukraine’s fertile fields, villages, and forests—once symbols of life and community—have been transformed into hazardous zones littered with deadly ordnance.

Anti-tank mines, anti-personnel mines, cluster munitions, and unexploded rockets threaten millions of civilians, particularly in eastern and southern regions like Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Kharkiv Oblasts. These remnants not only claim lives but also shatter livelihoods, preventing farmers from working their land, children from playing safely, and families from rebuilding.

Over six million Ukrainians live in areas contaminated by ERW, with thousands of incidents reported, leaving behind stories of loss—like a farmer maimed while plowing his field or a child injured by a hidden mine. The psychological toll is immense.

A spokesperson for SmartAID said: “At SmartAID, we are innovators and builders. We empower grassroots and national charities, local governments, and communities by ensuring our disaster response compliments, rather than competes with their efforts.

As the first to arrive during crises, we collaborate, provide professional advice, and strengthen local initiatives, respecting their leadership and priorities, while delivering impactful technological aid tailored to their needs.

Unlike many of the larger international organizations, SmartAID is independent, flexible and agile, enabling us to respond quickly, fill in critical gaps and ultimately save lives. “