Highlights: In Switzerland, the Digger Foundation builds mine-clearing robots for Ukraine. A third of the territory would be contaminated by explosives, or four times the area of Switzerland. Only around ten demining machines are built each year in the world, all manufacturers combined. Last year alone, kyiv requested around sixty machines. Digger will try to produce 6 before December. They have just released 100 million francs over four years for mine clearance in Ukraine. An international conference on the subject will also take place this fall in Geneva.

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In Switzerland, the Digger Foundation builds mine-clearing robots for Ukraine

There are countries that send weapons to kyiv, and there are those that prefer to remove them from Ukrainian soil. Switzerland is one of them: Bern is one of the biggest contributors to humanitarian mine clearance efforts in Ukraine. A third of the territory would be contaminated by explosives, or four times the area of Switzerland. To remedy this, the most effective way is still to send mine-clearing robots, like the one built by the Digger Foundation in the Swiss Jura.

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Members of the Ukrainian emergency services' demining department examine an area of agricultural land and power lines for landmines and other unexploded ordnance, in Korovii Yar in the eastern Donetsk region of Ukraine, on March 20, 2023. (Illustrative image) REUTERS - VIOLETA SANTOS MOURA

By: RFI Follow

With our special correspondent in Tavannes,

Jérémie Lanche

“

What we manufacture here are vehicles, the size of a good SUV we might say!

» Frédéric Guerne assures us: he has never lost a machine in an explosion. The boss of Digger prefers it when the mines explode under the milling machines of his 12-ton machines which advance by grinding the ground.

“

We have 50% of mines that will detonate. And then the other 50%, the mines will be crushed and neutralized in this form

,” he explains. “

We have worked on several thousand sample mines which do not cause any damage to the machine. It's tearing our legs apart. The machine barely tickles her.

A machine that costs 680,000 euros

Only around ten demining machines are built each year in the world, all manufacturers combined. But the war in Ukraine shook the sector. Last year alone, kyiv requested around sixty machines. Digger will try to produce 6 before December. “

We all know a little about this image of Épinal. The deminer on his knees and scratching the ground with a needle is not effective, it is very expensive and it takes the lives of deminers every year. Our machines aim to do this work in a much more efficient and completely secure manner

,” continues the director of the Foundation.

The cost price of a machine is 650,000 Swiss francs, or approximately 680,000 euros. A significant cost, especially for a non-profit foundation, but Digger can count on the support of the Swiss authorities. They have just released 100 million francs over four years for mine clearance in Ukraine. An international conference on the subject will also take place this fall in Geneva.

In Switzerland, the Digger Foundation builds mine-clearing robots for Ukraine

In Switzerland, the Digger Foundation builds mine-clearing robots for Ukraine

A machine that costs 680,000 euros

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