Danger hidden underfoot: Unexploded mines & shells plague E. Ukraine civilians

A large scale mine sweeping operation is underway in south-eastern Ukraine as numerous unexploded shells and missiles remain in the area after months of deadly conflict.

Despite the ceasefire between the government troops and the self-defense forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk Republics, locals remain in constant danger from unexploded devices, which they call “the army's gifts.”

A combat engineer named Aleksandr has shown RT’s Maria Finoshina dozens of unexploded shells, which he defused during the last three weeks in just one district of Donetsk.

“There was a case when we cleared an apartment and the shell went through two walls, but didn't explode,” he said. “There was another time when we cleared a little girl’s room. She was living in there with an unexploded device.”

The sapper stressed that there’s still much work to be done as numerous unexploded shells remain in the area.

“We're scared that something might blow up. Wherever you go, you walk carefully as we may step on something dangerous,” local teens told RT.

The UN estimates more than 3,000 people have already been killed in the conflict in southeastern Ukraine.

But the final death toll can still increase, with so many of the ‘army’s gifts’ remaining undiscovered by the minesweepers.