The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)
Protecting communities from explosive ordnance threats in Ukraine
With funding from the Ukraine Community Recovery Fund, UNOPS is working with the National Police of Ukraine to enhance explosive ordnance disposal capabilities – bolstering nationwide security and safeguarding urban populations.
Across Ukraine, extensive explosive ordnance contamination continues to pose severe risks to civilian populations. From conventional munitions to improvised explosive devices, threats regularly emerge in densely populated urban centres and in close proximity to critical infrastructure.
The National Police of Ukraine responds to explosive threats in communities, providing frontline protection for millions of Ukrainians. UNOPS is working with the national police to expand the institution's explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) capacities – supporting them to address evolving threats and to ensure safe conditions for social and economic revitalization.
With funding from the Ukraine Community Recovery Fund, UNOPS will procure specialized tools to enhance the safety, precision and efficiency of police EOD teams working in high-risk environments.
Recovery begins with safety. By supporting the National Police to lead explosive ordnance disposal operations, we are helping create the conditions for safe recovery today while reinforcing the institutions that will sustain Ukraine's resilience for years to come.
UNOPS will also provide tailored capacity-building and explosive threats awareness-raising training for EOD officers, community police officers, educational safety officers and juvenile police officers.
"Our EOD experts are one of the first on site when a drone strike occurs – and these strikes are unfortunately very regular," Volodymyr Khomenko, Head of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Department of the National Police of Ukraine. "International assistance is invaluable to us. This project will provide officers with highly valuable tools and help us standardize training across teams.”
Response standards, training curricula and operational protocols will be aligned with international best practices and Ukraine's National Mine Action Standards, directly reinforcing national recovery priorities and broader European integration pathways.
This initiative will help bridge the vital gap between emergency humanitarian response and long-term development by laying the strategic foundations for Ukraine's recovery – supporting sustainable, locally led solutions by investing directly in national governance and public safety structures.
Ultimately, this means fewer civilian casualties, faster rehabilitation of local infrastructure and a safer return to normal life for communities across Ukraine.
