After the Russian invasion a Ukrainian farmer invented a new way to demine his fields – he rigged his tractor with protective panels taken from Russian tanks and maneuvered them by remote control.
After Russian forces were driven out of parts of eastern Ukraine by a Ukrainian counteroffensive last year, many fields were mined, making it dangerous for farmers to plant grain for the next harvest.
The fields around the village of Hrakov are no exception. Oleksandr Krivtsov, the manager of his agricultural company, decided he could not wait for help from the overworked official demining services.
Instead, he created a remote-controlled tractor that was immune to explosions. He purchased a system that allows a worker to operate the tractor remotely from an excavator with a raised shovel, using armor from Russian military vehicles to protect the tractor.
“We started doing this because the sowing season is approaching and the emergency services are so busy that we can’t do anything,” Krivsov told Reuters. “We stepped on an anti-tank mine. The security is down, but the tractor is safe,” he said. “Everyone is alive and well. The equipment has been recovered.”
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmihal said last week that about 30% of Ukrainian territory had been mined by the Russians, and that the government was committed to quickly removing landmines from agricultural land.
“We don’t have time to de-mine the fields. The scale of the work is huge,” said Serhiy Dutak, head of the demining unit, who is now overseeing the work of the tractor. “It will take years to clear this field by hand and make sure there are no mines here.”
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