Image: Ukrainian MoD
The 23-nation Demining Capability Coalition has received a fresh €2 million contribution to its Ukraine fund, announced at the coalition’s 20th meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland.
The additional funding bolsters international efforts to address one of the most pressing post-conflict challenges facing Ukraine, a country now accumulating frontline demining experience on an unprecedented scale.
New Funds, Expanding Coalition
A member state announced the €2 million contribution during the Reykjavik summit, reinforcing the coalition’s financial base as demand for demining capacity inside Ukraine continues to grow.
Coalition members used the meeting to hold bilateral talks with countries considering joining the group. The coalition currently spans 23 nations, covering both humanitarian and combat demining operations. Its core mandate is to attract and coordinate international support across both disciplines.
Capability Development Takes Centre Stage
Discussions at the summit went beyond funding. According to Colonel Ruslan Berehulia, Head of the Secretariat of Ukraine’s National Mine Action Agency and Head of the Main Directorate of Mine Action, Civil Protection, and Environmental Safety, delegates addressed several priorities for strengthening Ukrainian demining units.
These included equipment supply pipelines, expanded training programmes, and tighter audit and contract verification mechanisms. Delegates also reviewed resource management improvements to ensure accountability across coalition spending.
A key agenda item was the implementation of projects under NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package. The framework provides practical, non-lethal support to meet Ukraine’s urgent defence needs, develops long-term capabilities, and ensures interoperability with Alliance standards.
Ukraine’s Frontline Experience Recognised
Participants acknowledged that Ukraine is accumulating unique practical expertise in demining under active wartime conditions. That experience carries strategic value well beyond Ukraine’s borders, potentially informing NATO doctrine and coalition training standards going forward.
Ukraine ranks among the world’s most heavily mined territories. Contaminated land stretches across hundreds of thousands of square kilometres, with clearance efforts expected to span decades.
165 Million Planned for 2026
The coalition outlined ambitious spending plans for the coming year. The coalition intends to allocate a minimum of €165 million in 2026 to supply Ukraine with demining equipment and machinery, a significant step up in material support.
That figure signals a shift from coordination and planning toward large-scale procurement and delivery. It reflects growing consensus that Ukraine needs industrial-level demining capacity to address contamination across liberated territories.
Coalition’s Growing Significance
The Demining Capability Coalition has steadily expanded its role since formation. Operating within a broader international support framework for Ukraine, it bridges the gap between immediate battlefield clearance and long-term humanitarian recovery.
With additional countries weighing membership and 2026 funding commitments already taking shape, the coalition is positioning itself as a central pillar of Ukraine’s reconstruction and security architecture.
Source: Ukrainian MoD
