2022 was even more challenging for us than COVID-19, but it was also decisive. We were the first to start working in the deoccupied Kyiv and Chernihiv regions, almost immediately after deoccupation. It was a difficult time: we distributed a lot of property to the military, there was little equipment, and fuel was in short supply. We started with a non-technical survey and then moved on to clearance. Under the humanitarian project of the Ukrainian Deminers Association, funded by UN OCHA, which transitioned from 2021 to 2022, we began a non-technical survey in April and started clearing the Makariv and Chernihiv districts in May. And although we only had two demining teams working at that time, we showed our international partners by example that it was necessary to clear the deoccupied lands of explosive objects.
In the summer, we handed over the first demined area to the Makariv community, with a total area larger than any of the operators. At that time, only international operators returned and appeared.
Most of the team we assembled at that time still works with us today. In the summer, we began cooperation with a Danish non-governmental organization, and on November 19, we began our long-term cooperation with one of the most powerful operators in the world — the American corporation Tetra Tech.
In 2023, we significantly expanded our capabilities in terms of both personnel numbers and operational readiness to perform complex tasks. As co-implementers of Tetra Tech, the largest humanitarian demining project in Ukraine at the time, funded by the US State Department, we deployed 11 non-technical survey (NTS) teams. Initial NTO is always the most difficult and carries a very high level of responsibility. We were among the first to start working in the de-occupied territories of Kharkiv and Kherson regions, where the situation remains extremely difficult. But there was also the challenge for a young company to learn how to work with American money, where there must be accountability for every cent, audits, constant meetings, and various other requirements. This made us stronger, and it is unlikely that any donor can now put pressure on us.
As part of another humanitarian project funded by a Canadian donor, we continued to clear de-occupied lands. At the beginning of the year, we also began working with the international non-governmental organization Save the Children to educate the population, especially children, about the dangers of mines.
In September, our deminers were the first to begin training at the newly established Tetra Tech EOD school in Ukraine. Having gained knowledge, skills, and practice from some of the best international instructors, our deminers passed to the next level. Most of them are still with us, and they are only gaining experience and acquiring new knowledge.
This year, we worked in almost all deoccupied territories. We significantly expanded the geography of our activities: Kyiv, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Sumy regions.
We continued to build our capacity as an EOD operator by working with TetraTech and began to carry out clearance tasks. Our deminers continued to train at the EOD school, but we also sent commanders and the best specialists to the MAT Kosovo international school to obtain EOD-2, EOD-3, and EOD-3+ levels. Although US funding significantly reduced its humanitarian demining program in Ukraine, this did not significantly affect DS, as we began our cooperation with UN agencies.
With the International Organization for Migration (IOM), we gained unique experience in conducting explosion risk assessments in buildings and urban areas. We also signed a long-term contract with UNICEF, thus becoming an eligible partner for this powerful UN agency. Of course, we underwent a bunch of capacity assessments, audits, and due diligence processes. But all this allows us to say that the Ukrainian company DS is an organization of international standard.
We were one of the first to receive a certificate for demining, and in 2024 we began to actively develop this area.
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