04/23/2025
The Critical Mass is deeply grateful to the Educational and Scientific Center for Innovative Technologies in Humanitarian Demining at the Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and the General Energy Institute of NAS of Ukraine for hosting Mariya Chukhnova, our International Security Specialist and Operations Manager.
During her visit, Mariya met with Volodymyr Melnyk, Director of the Educational and Scientific Center for Innovative Technologies in Humanitarian Demining; Oksana Vovk, Director of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Energy Saving and Energy Management, founder of the Center, and scientific consultant; Oksana Tverda, Deputy Director for Educational Affairs, Doctor of Technical Sciences, and Professor; Nataliya Zuevska, Head of the Department of Geoengineering, Doctor of Technical Sciences, and Professor; and Artur Zaporozhets, Deputy Director at the General Energy Institute of NASU.
The team at the Center is one of the leading entities systematizing humanitarian demining and clearance in Ukraine and is working with a variety of partners to prepare technical and humanitarian demining experts, advanced R&D, and to counter threats to stabilization and recovery.
Ukraine now faces the grim distinction of being one of the most UXO-contaminated countries in the world. Every part of its landscape - from forests and rivers to cities, villages, schools, farmland, and industrial sites - have been littered with mines and unexploded ordnance - these are a lethal, indiscriminate threat that impedes return to homes, industry, agriculture, and infrastructure.
Our Ukrainian colleagues and partners are tireless, and they continue to apply expertise, commitment, and vision to address this monumental challenge. Their work is a powerful example of resilience and innovation in the face of one of the world’s most complex and humanitarian crises.
To learn more about the Center: https://icd.kpi.ua/?p=16551
To learn more about TCM: https://www.thecriticalmass.com/
