This missile sits as a stark reminder of a recent battle’s aftershocks. It is long and heavy, slender yet substantial, buried deep in a meadow near a pond, with only its tail peeking out from a deep crater it carved. A truck grumbles and strains, its chain and metal rope taut as it tries to haul the object free. Yet the container refuses to budge easily, stubborn in its inertness. Eventually a senior member of an elite anti-explosive unit from Kharkov arrives. He surveys the scene, gathers his team, and a tractor arrives to assist. After an hour’s careful maneuvering in an open field near Bezludovka, south of Ukraine’s second-largest city, the metal shell finally lifts from the ground.
The team then proceeds with caution, placing the device in the meadow and checking for any active charges. They open the container in a controlled manner, ensuring no live ammunition remains inside, and prepare to neutralize the threat. What they find is that the missile’s casing was simply holding its position; the charge had detonated elsewhere, in a nearby forest. This is a critical check for the unit devoted to explosives disposal. Their mission requires precision and patience. Their expeditions have yielded a mix of cluster bombs, anti-tank mines, missiles from the Uragan family, and other munitions that tumbled from the sky. The work is dangerous, and the loss of three team members in recent months weighs on them. The process is painstaking: it must be done slowly, without haste, to prevent a further tragedy.
Interviews with team members reveal that the most common finds are fragments of large missiles, sometimes the back end or the tube. In recent discoveries, however, cluster munitions inside these missiles have become more frequent. A fellow rescuer, Oleg Shevchyk, explains that anti-personnel mines have not yet been disabled in place because they remain within the line of fire, but anti-tank mines have been located and removed. When such devices are found, they cordon off the area, evacuate nearby people, neutralize the threat, and safely destroy the ammunition.
In addition to the physical danger, the presence of cluster bombs raises broader concerns for civilian safety. Amnesty International has highlighted cases where cluster munitions have endangered civilians, including an incident near a school in Okhtyrka in the Sumy region that resulted in deaths and injuries. The organization notes that there is no justification for dropping these weapons in populated areas close to schools. Details of such incidents have been documented using drone footage and photos to analyze the impact on communities.
Many governments have signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, though some nations have not. Ukraine and several other states have faced scrutiny over the use of cluster weapons in conflict zones. Human Rights Watch has reported indications that both sides in the conflict have employed such weapons, underscoring the high margin of error and the grave risk to civilians when these munitions are employed. The situation continues to evolve as military aid flows from Western countries, including Europe, in support of Ukrainian forces. Recent statements from Western officials confirm training and weapon shipments, such as howitzer systems and other equipment, while discussions about broader aid packages persist.
The conflict’s visible aftermath extends into civilian life. In the outskirts of Kharkov, abandoned remnants of warfare have infiltrated everyday spaces—gardens and streets—not far from the homes and lives of residents. An elderly neighbor recalled a loud explosion that shattered the routine of daily life, describing the moment as both terrifying and disorienting. In response, teams comb the area, removing dangerous fragments to reduce further risk. The ongoing work of these young technicians, aged in their mid-to-late twenties, helps document and respond to what continues to unfold in Ukraine.