- These explosions are part of a de-mining
test in Southern Ukraine.
The idea is to turn a run of the mill excavator
into a de-mining powerhouse.
- [SPEAKING UKRAINIAN]
- Engineer Vitale explains.
- [SPEAKING UKRAINIAN]
- The device designs thanks to these chains.
- [SPEAKING UKRAINIAN]
- When it rotates, the impact can
be like hitting with 1000kg.
- [SPEAKING UKRAINIAN]
- Any mine, whether anti-tank or anti-personnel, will detonate.
- [SPEAKING UKRAINIAN]
- Alternatively, we can mount some kind of knives on it
that plow the soil.
- He declined to provide his last name for security reasons.
A recent Reuters analysis revealed
the extent of Ukraine's mine contamination
is likely unprecedented in the 21st century.
[EXPLOSION]
There could be hundreds of thousands
of landmines scattered across roads, fields, and cities.
- [SPEAKING UKRAINIAN]
- Volunteers have teamed up with the army to help with
the deadly problem, but modern de-mining
vehicles are rare here.
- And here's a new American tank.
- This machine draws inspiration from World
War II Sherman tanks being outfitted with flails decades
ago.
[MACHINE HUMMING]
Still, Ukrainian developers believe
this excavator can knock out any and all mines in its path.
- [SPEAKING UKRAINIAN]
- We tested the device on anti-infantry mines that
detonate with a lot of power and shrapnel,
says military de-mining expert Volodymyr Azorian.
You can see traces of it on the protective screen, he adds.
[RATTLING]
The team isn't taking any chances, though.
While a remote driver can control the machine
with a joystick, developers want to ensure the driver's cabin
can stay safe if an explosion goes off
under the excavator's treads.
And if one day the machine's services are no longer needed,
it can simply go back to doing what it
was originally designed to do.