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Even if Russian troops withdraw completely from Ukraine, one threat remains: mines.

The land is littered with them. In rivers, forests, along the road or in playgrounds. The Kiev government estimates that about 40 percent of Ukraine can be mined. The south and east in particular are polluted with mines – a mine belt stretches for hundreds of kilometres.

Halo Trust, the world’s largest mine clearance organization, speaks of the biggest explosives problem of the 21st century. Because the explosives can injure or even kill the civilian population and animals through explosions if moved.

Clearing mines would take years, even if the war ended soon. As a result of wars and conflicts, mines are still buried in as many as 60 countries and territories around the world. The countries most affected by mines are: Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iraq, Yemen, Cambodia, Croatia, Turkey and Ukraine.

The Afghan demining program is one of the largest ever. But Afghanistan’s demining program is coming to an end this month, though plenty of explosives are still buried there. And so every year thousands of people in Afghanistan still die or are injured by mines. Experts have therefore requested an extension of the deadline to at least 2028.

Playing a key role in mine clearance: dogs. Trained sniffer dogs sniff out and locate explosives. Dogs have been trained for this since the mid-1990s – but the term “mining dog” has been around much longer.

My dog ​​- a homonym

Mining dogs – also known as anti-tank dogs – were dogs used in particular by the Red Army in World War II as animal bombers. The dogs had explosives on their backs, which were fitted with a rapid detonator. Usually the dogs were sent under the enemy’s tanks.

The problem: The dogs couldn’t tell the tanks apart. The mining dogs often blew up their own tanks. Because of this unreliability, later tank weapons were used.

Unfortunately, World War II did not mean the end of mining dogs for military use. The use of dogs loaded with explosives has also been documented in the Syrian war.

My (sniffing) dogs in war zones

Today, dogs play a major role in war zones. Explosives experts rely on the noses of trained dogs to clear mines. With their keen sense of smell, they can even detect underground explosives that machines often go unnoticed.

The professional snoopers are deployed in mine-infested areas around the world – even the smallest. One of the most famous tracking dogs of the moment is: Patron.

The Jack Russell Terrier has already found hundreds of mines in Ukraine – and probably saved countless lives in the process. Last year he was honored by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his “selfless effort” through his special service in the army.

The four-legged friend even received an honorary award for the film dog of the year in 2022, the “Palm Dog Award”. However, Patron was unable to receive the award in person – the landmine sniffer has a lot to do.

Only the best sniffers become mine detection dogs

Patron is just one example that shows the importance of dog-human cooperation in mine clearance. But resources are limited. Demining all parts of the world takes a lot of time and money. The requirements for training your dog to become a mine detection dog are high and the training is time consuming. And not every dog ​​is up to the job of an explosive sniffer – let alone a mine detector.

The sniffer dogs track a scent of explosives within a radius of 10 meters when searching for mines. They are usually kept on a long leash. If you find something, sit next to where you found it.

“The dogs must be active and wanting to search,” Andrea von Siebenthal of the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) told TierWelt magazine. At best, the dogs smell explosives from a distance of seven to eight meters. Only the best dogs would be chosen to find mines.

The explosive sniffers of Switzerland

Explosive detection dogs from Switzerland are used preventively at major events such as the Street Parade or during interventions. The dogs are in constant action at international airports. The dogs also sniff out explosives during house searches and vehicle searches.

In 1999, the Swiss company SMEDDS (Swiss Mine & Explosives Detection Dogs Society) was founded – an organization of experienced military and police service dog handlers, involved in mine clearance projects worldwide – but not (yet) in Ukraine.

Nevertheless, Switzerland indirectly helps Ukraine with humanitarian demining by inviting Ukrainian specialists for training. In total, Switzerland is involved in five UN mine clearance programs – and makes CHF 18 million available annually for mine clearance.