In Ukraine, safe land means new hope

In the village of Lypivka, just west of Kyiv, Oksana Myroslavivna Klymenok is planting again.

Hazelnut bushes now grow on the one-hectare plot beside her home — land that only a short time ago was littered with deadly landmines and other explosive ordnance left behind during the Russian occupation.

For Oksana, a primary school teacher and small-scale farmer, the return to cultivating her land represents more than recovery. It is a sign that life, little by little, can begin again.

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Oksana believed her village would offer safety.

“I asked my children to come from Kyiv, thinking this would be a safer place… I simply didn’t believe the troops would get here,” she said. Instead, Lypivka became part of the frontline devastation seen across Bucha District.

Oksana and her family fled during the occupation and returned only after fighting subsided. The destruction they found was overwhelming.

Their home had been heavily damaged. Windows and doors were shattered. The roof had collapsed. Explosions had tossed gates and fencing away. Across the village, fields were scarred by trenches and homes bore the marks of shelling and shrapnel.

Even after liberation on April 2, 2022, danger remained hidden beneath the surface.

Initial military clearance began soon after de-occupation, but residents continued discovering explosive items during ordinary routines — while walking, farming, or working near their homes.

Again and again, emergency services and military sappers were called back to remove newly identified threats. For villagers, uncertainty became constant.

Even the area surrounding the local cemetery had been scattered with ordnance. During clearance of the roads leading there, HALO teams discovered anti-tank mines hidden close to the paved roadway.

It was a stark reminder that mines can remain in places no one expects.

As a teacher, Oksana has seen another side of recovery: the emotional impact on children.

When students returned to school after the occupation, many struggled silently with fear and anxiety. Adults often assumed children had been protected from the realities of war, but Oksana saw how deeply the experience affected them.

She also saw the difference demining made.

Those changes matter.

Demining is often discussed in terms of security and infrastructure, but its impact also reaches classrooms, families, and mental well-being. Safe land helps communities regain confidence in everyday life.

Despite severe winter temperatures and repeated blackouts caused by attacks on energy infrastructure, Oksana remains optimistic about the future of their crops. Their goal is not financial gain, but to help others.

The couple hopes to share their harvest with neighbors and anyone in need — rebuilding the sense of connection that war disrupted.

Today, missile strikes, drone attacks, and air-raid sirens continue to shape life across Ukraine. In villages like Lypivka, recovery remains fragile. Yet each cleared field, each safe road, and each restored livelihood helps communities move forward.

Oksana’s story is a reminder that humanitarian demining is not only about removing explosives. It is about helping families return home safely, restoring economic resilience, and creating the conditions for communities to rebuild after conflict.

With support from FMC Corporation, HALO teams are helping to make that recovery possible. FMC’s partnership is helping families like Oksana’s reclaim their land, restore daily life, and plant new hope for the future.

HALO's life-saving work is made possible by the generous support of FMC.