Dropped by drones and scattered by rockets: how Ukraine became one of the most heavily mined countries in the world

A sign outside residential buildings bombed by Russian forces on 10 August in Kramatorsk. Photograph: Pierre Crom/Getty Images

In north-east Ukraine, less than 50km from the Russian border, lies the city of Shostka. In the first months of the full-scale invasion it was blockaded, and ever since has faced constant shelling and drone strikes from the Russian army.

But if and when the attacks stop, there will be an invisible danger that will linger for much longer: unexploded devices. Ukraine is now one of the most heavily mined countries in the world, with about a quarter of its territory – an area larger than England – contaminated with explosives.