Friends of Ukraine-EOD (FoU-EOD), a newly registered Guernsey Charity, is calling for donations so they can continue to provide specialised training to enhance the capability of the explosive ordnance disposal teams in Ukraine.
The organisation has been set up to bring together likeminded people, including those with a background in Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA), Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) and other Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) Risk Management, to help efforts on the ground in Ukraine, which has materialised as a direct result of a recent invasion by Russian armed forces.
Unexploded ordnances are now littered across large parts of the country, with the potential to cause death or serious injury to civilians. Specialists from FoU-EOD support the emergency services and Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal teams in Ukraine, with daily guidance and advice on how to render safe items of unexploded ordnance.
As the war in Ukraine progresses and lengthens into a protracted conflict, the focus of the charity is to provide more Ukrainian EOD Operators. Whilst there are plans for an EOD school close to the Ukrainian border in Poland, the need for training of fresh operators now is urgent as the rescue services and Police EOD units themselves suffer increasing casualties.
Ben Remfrey, who is a specialist adviser to the charity, said: “Casualties, physical and mental exhaustion and stress for the men and women involved in EOD work in Ukraine is taking a significant toll on capability. We are hoping
the continued generosity of islanders will enable us to continue helping services on the ground to alleviate critical situations.
“There is an immediate need for this support; if we do not prepare now and begin developing sufficient EOD capability by training Ukrainians to clear areas of unexploded ordnance, when displaced populations return to their homes the situation will be horrendous and the number of casualties could be huge, including children.”
The charity is working pan-Island, with Mr Remfrey and the three LBG Directors, Dave Mahoney, Mark Helyar and Andrea Dudley-Owen based in Guernsey and in Jersey the Commanding Officer of the Jersey Field squadron, Charlie Martell and Grant Feltham of Rozel Shipping Ltd.
Initiatives that FoUEOD are supporting with urgency are:
- To arrange for a group of Ukraine Police EOD recruits to travel from Ukraine via Poland to Western Kosovo, to undergo intensive training for a period of 2-3 weeks, after which they will return to Ukraine and add considerably to the team capability and ability to continue to clear areas of unexploded ordnance. This training is being provided ‘at cost’ to FoU-EOD, at around 1/3 of the usual price of such training. This initiative is fully supported by the Organisation for Security and Co-Operation in Europe (OSCE) country co-ordinators and talks are underway with the State Emergency Services of Ukraine (SESU) to put this into effect.
- To deploy an FoU-EOD Subject Matter Expert (SME) into Kyiv, Ukraine, imminently whose role will be to assist and advise the EOD unit Commander in Kyiv on EOD task management, use of assets and to recommend next steps in terms of equipment supply and further training based on needs analysis. There will also be limited “On the Job Training” and mentoring of some of the more complex EOD tasks being undertaken.
- To evacuate to UK, the wives and daughters of 2 Police EOD operators, currently working in Mariupol, until such time as the conflict ends and they can be reunited with their husbands.
- To complete the training of and deploy to Poland, 4 Explosive Detection Dogs (EDD) where they will be paired with handlers from the state emergency services and Police EOD teams’ designated handlers. These dogs will be the primary asset to search collapsed structures and areas for explosive ordnance or improvised explosive devices. Adding greatly to the toolbox approach for the EOD teams, saving time and resources.
- To ship more EOD equipment for delivery to the emergency supply hub in Rzeszow, Poland, close to the border of Ukraine for immediate insertion into Ukraine and direct to the EOD teams.
FoU-EOD was among the first to react to the proliferation of unexploded ordnance in Ukraine, whereby our founders were previously involved with training the state emergency services and Police EOD assets, so were not strangers to the development of a national capacity.
Click here for more details about the charity. Click here to make a donation.
Friends of Ukraine EOD, Guernsey Registered Charity, Number: CH676
