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By Open Chronicle with agencies
Two deminers working for a Norwegian humanitarian demining project were killed, and several others were injured after a Russian attack near Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine, according to Norwegian People’s Aid.
The incident marks another deadly strike against humanitarian personnel operating in areas affected by the ongoing war and has drawn strong condemnation from Norwegian officials.
Norwegian People’s Aid, one of the largest international organizations involved in mine clearance operations in Ukraine, confirmed the deaths and said an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack is underway.
“This is very difficult. My thoughts go out to the relatives and colleagues of those affected,” said Secretary General Raymond Johansen in comments to Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
The organization currently employs more than 450 people across Ukraine, where teams work to remove landmines and unexploded ordnance left behind by fighting. Humanitarian demining efforts have become a critical component of Ukraine’s recovery, allowing civilians to return safely to homes, farmland, and infrastructure damaged during the conflict.
Norway’s Minister for International Development, Åsmund Aukrust, strongly condemned the attack.
“The attack on a humanitarian demining organization that works to protect civilians and save lives is completely unacceptable,” Aukrust said.
The strike highlights the continuing dangers faced by humanitarian workers operating close to active combat zones. Large areas of Ukraine remain contaminated by mines, unexploded shells, and other explosive remnants of war, making demining operations among the most hazardous humanitarian activities in the country.
The latest incident follows a similar attack in 2025, when two people were killed during a Russian missile strike on a Danish mine clearance operation in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv.
International organizations have repeatedly warned that attacks on humanitarian personnel and infrastructure further complicate efforts to protect civilians and rebuild communities affected by the war.
As investigations continue, humanitarian groups are renewing calls for greater protection of aid workers carrying out life-saving operations across Ukraine.