Meet the Demining Dog Helping Children Stay Safe in Ukraine

Why Landmines Remain a Daily Threat to Children in Ukraine

Nearly a quarter of Ukraine’s land remains contaminated by explosive hazards, leaving families in frontline and recently retaken areas at constant risk. For children growing up amid four years of full-scale war, even ordinary activities — walking to school, playing outside, exploring fields — can be dangerous.

One in every 10 landmine casualties in Ukraine is a child.

“It is horrifying to think that a child engaged in the innocent act of play could risk picking up part of an unexploded munition or have a mine explode beneath them which may cause permanent, life-changing injuries, or death,” says Sonia Khush, Save the Children’s Country Director in Ukraine. “But this is the constant, deadly threat that children in Ukraine are exposed to every time they go out and play.

“Landmines do not discriminate between a child or a soldier – their use violates international law, poses a grave risk to children, and hampers the ability to transport humanitarian aid to where it is needed most. Save the Children is calling on parties to the conflict to stop the use of explosive weapons in populated areas.”

How a Mine Detection Dog Is Teaching Life-Saving Lessons

Chivas is a trained mine detection dog — or MDD — a six-year-old German Spitz who can sniff out the vapors released by explosive devices. Dogs like him are far more efficient than humans at detecting landmines and unexploded ordnance, and they are used extensively across Ukraine.

But Chivas has another job, too.

He participates in mine safety awareness sessions run by Save the Children’s partner organization, the Ukrainian Deminers Association, in frontline areas like Kharkiv. There, he helps children learn how to stay safe: never touch unfamiliar objects, check spaces carefully, and recognize danger signs.

When Chivas senses danger, he crosses his paws. The children are taught to make the same gesture with their hands — a simple, memorable signal that means stop.

Viktoriia, a mine awareness trainer and Chivas’ owner, says the dog transforms the atmosphere in the room.

“Chivas helps establish a connection with children, easing tension and reducing fear around the topic of mine safety,” she explains. “The dog’s presence significantly increases children’s attention and engagement. They respond more actively, remember the rules better, and feel more confident asking follow-up questions. Through interaction with Chivas, a complex and distressing topic is presented in a gentler way, without unnecessary stress, allowing children to absorb the information more quickly and effectively.”

Seventeen-year-old Tetiana*, who attended a session, agrees.

“I enjoyed having Chivas at the session. It gave me peace and tranquility. It was more interesting to listen to the trainers, so it was easier to remember,” she says.

Four Years of War: Danger, Displacement and Resilience

Four years on from the escalation of war, children in Ukraine are still living with danger, disruption and loss. In 2025, air strikes and drone attacks intensified, making it the deadliest year since 2022.

“Our children have suffered both psychologically and physically. It is very hard for them to hear constant explosions. This creates fear in children and in parents,” says Anna*, a social worker from Slavic Heart, who helped Heorhii* and Olha* after a missile attack.

Today, 10.8 million people in Ukraine need humanitarian assistance, including around 2 million children. More than 4,450 education facilities have been damaged or destroyed. Daily air alerts interrupt lessons, and one in three children still cannot attend school in person. Almost 3.7 million people remain displaced inside the country, many living in damaged homes or crowded accommodation during one of the coldest winters in decades.

And yet, despite the relentless pressure, children continue to show extraordinary resilience.

How Mine Risk Education Is Protecting Children on the Frontline

Since February 2022, Save the Children has reached over 4.7 million people in Ukraine — including around 1.9 million children. In 2025 alone, we supported more than 434,100 people through safe learning spaces, mental health support, cash assistance and essential items, helping families meet basic needs with dignity.

“It was very good support for us,” says mum Olha. “They helped us financially. [The social workers] supported us emotionally as well.”

Mine awareness education — including sessions with partners like the Ukrainian Deminers Association — is a critical part of this work. Launched in 2022, the project now reaches nearly 90,000 people, including over 67,000 children, across 10 regions, most of them along the frontline.

The program uses practical, child-friendly approaches: interactive board games, a dedicated online platform for children aged 6 to 18, Braille brochures for children with visual impairments, and video lessons with sign language interpretation. The goal is simple — ensure that every child knows how to recognize danger and what to do when they see it.

Save the Children’s Response Across Ukraine

Alongside mine risk education, Save the Children’s response in Ukraine in 2025 included:

• Supporting 20,500 people to rebuild livelihoods through cash and agriculture grants, and launching community-led projects such as a youth hackathon in Mykolaiv that funded ten community-voted recovery initiatives.
• Supporting 148,200 children through Digital Learning Centers and rehabilitation of schools and nurseries, including support for teachers and children with disabilities.
• Providing 165,400 people with essential items, safe shelter and hygiene support.
• Helping 77,800 children stay safe through child-friendly spaces offering learning, play and mental health support.
• Working with local authorities in Dnipropetrovsk region to strengthen family-based care and help children grow up in safe, supportive families instead of institutions.

Partnerships remain central. In 2025, Save the Children worked with around 25 partners in Ukraine, channeling approximately a third of funding to local organizations.