A new study of demining efforts in Ukraine has revealed a significant breakthrough: AI boosts Ukraine demining surveys, with artificial intelligence-analyzed drone imagery increasing productivity by over 800%, according to findings announced today, 4 November 2025.

The 18-month field study in Ukraine was conducted by Norwegian People's Aid (NPA) using technology from AI security company Safe Pro Group. The results were presented at the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining 2025 GICHD Innovation Conference.

This technological leap is significant because it could drastically shorten the timeline and lower the cost of clearing Ukraine's vast contaminated lands, which are estimated to be the size of half of Germany and could take a century to make safe by traditional methods.

A dramatic increase in efficiency

The research findings, detailed in a report by Business Wire, focused on improving "non-technical surveys" (NTS). This is the crucial first step where teams identify suspected hazardous areas, allowing specialized and slower clearance teams to be deployed more effectively.

Compared to traditional survey methods, the study found teams using the AI technology achieved:

• An 800+% increase in productivity.
• 550% more potentially hazardous items, such as unexploded ordnance (UXO), identified per hectare.
• A 300% faster survey speed per hour per team.
• A labor cost reduction of approximately 50% per hectare.

How the AI technology works

The system, called SpotlightAI by Safe Pro, uses artificial intelligence and computer vision to analyze aerial imagery captured by commercially available drones. The AI is trained to detect small, hard-to-find explosive threats that may be missed by the human eye. This data is then converted into detailed 2D and 3D maps that guide humanitarian demining teams on the ground.

Dan Erdberg, Chairman and CEO of Safe Pro Group, stated that the data confirms the "dramatic impact SpotlightAI can have helping the nearly 60 countries contaminated with UXO return their land to productivity."

Kyaw Lin Htut, a Senior Advisor for Innovation at NPA, which co-authored and presented the study, added that the "preliminary findings of our study suggest an outsized impact in increased person-hour efficiency" for survey teams operating in Ukraine.

The scale of Ukraine's challenge

This new technology addresses one of the most severe contamination crises in modern history. Russian forces have contaminated an estimated 174.000 square kilometers, roughly 30% of Ukraine's territory, with mines and unexploded ordnance, as Euromaidan Press has reported.

Experts cited by the publication have warned that clearance efforts are severely hindered by the chaotic and undocumented mining practices of Russian forces. In some heavily affected regions, complete demining could take up to 100 years. The World Bank has previously estimated the total cost to fully demine Ukraine at $34.6 billion.

While the physical task of clearing mines remains a slow and dangerous process, this breakthrough in AI-driven survey technology offers a significant strategic advantage. By rapidly and cost-effectively identifying hazardous areas, it allows Ukraine's clearance teams to focus their efforts where they are needed most, dramatically accelerating the first critical step in returning contaminated land to safe use.