Cyprus to assist Ukraine with mines clearance

Cyprus will offer Ukraine technical training on landmine clearing as part of its humanitarian assistance, its defence minister said.

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, who is visiting Cyprus Friday, is set to tour areas where the training will take place.

“We will host personnel which will handle de-mining and detection of mines,” Cypriot Defence Minister Michalis Georgallas told Sigma TV.

He said Nicosia would inform the Ukrainian minister “exactly what Cyprus is doing for his country, in an effort to be close to developments”.

A group of around 18 Ukrainian officers will be in Cyprus for training in the last week of April, according to the Politis newspaper, which first reported the story.

A 180 km dividing line across Cyprus was dotted with minefields until the two sides started clearing areas in the past decade with assistance from the United Nations.