British Defence Attache to North Macedonia & Kosovo, Lt Colonel Edward “John” Green visits MAT Kosovo
September 12, 2024
PCM and MAT Kosovo’s Work with Mriya Aid: Training Ukrainians in IMAS EOD Competency Levels
October 24, 2024
PCM & MAT Kosovo’s work with IMAS EOD training for Ukrainians has been highlighted in a recent EuroNews article by Sasha Vakulina
(The following section has been excerpted from the referenced article. You can read the full article by visiting: https://www.euronews.com/…/what-will-it-take-to-demine…)
Training sappers today to make tomorrow safer
Before 2022, only men could work as explosive ordnance disposal operators in Ukraine, but when Ukrainian men went to the frontlines, the profession opened up for women, who are increasingly enrolling in training programmes at home and abroad.
One of the schools is MAT Kosovo, where there is a special programme for Ukrainian women.
Ben Remfrey, Managing Director at Praedium Consulting Malta and MAT Kosovo, told Euronews the School is in negotiations with UN Women for a project to train many more women in 2025/6.
Over 400 Ukrainians have already been trained at the facility in Peja in western Kosovo. There, they learn unique skills according to the International Mine Action Standards taught in their native language, since MAT Kosovo translated all of its courses into Ukrainian.
The school’s managing director says there is no one-size-fits-all training approach.
“The training focuses on the type of operational roles they will have when they return to Ukraine and how they would conduct operations themselves as part of the team or leading the team,” Remfrey said.
“The threats posed have been carefully studied and the training adapted to that and also evolving threats as the war continues and as areas are liberated then the type of threat changes, from conventional munitions disposal, to, say, that of ‘booby traps’ and also improvised devices.”
He also explained why it is important to start the demining as soon as possible: “Displaced people will return home as soon as they can, those people who worked the land will want to work the land again, they want to live in their former homes and travel as they once did in safety — that’s why the land needs to be subject to clearance and proper land release to those communities as soon as possible.”
