Syria and Ukraine sign demining cooperation agreement

Syria and Ukraine have signed an intergovernmental agreement to cooperate on demining and the clearance of war remnants. The agreement, signed in Damascus on September 20, 2026, establishes a partnership between Syria’s National Mine Action Centre and Ukraine’s Center for Humanitarian Mine Action and War Remnants.

The cooperation aims to leverage Ukrainian expertise in technical surveying and demining to protect and rehabilitate Syrian agricultural lands. Key components of the deal include field training, professional development, the exchange of technical expertise, and the provision of specialized equipment and technologies for detecting explosive ordnance.

Ukrainian specialists are expected to conduct field visits to northern Syria to assess heavily contaminated areas. The implementation of the agreement will begin with pilot projects located in the Idlib and Aleppo governorates. This initiative follows years of conflict that have left significant amounts of unexploded ordnance across the country, contributing to thousands of casualties since 2011.