In the words of Tetiana Shukhnarenko: “We Have Learned to Be Flexible, Plan Ahead, and Adapt Quickly — Because the Work Must Continue Despite All Challenges”

Photo: NGO “Ukrainian Deminers Association”/ Mariia Kanishevska 

Tetiana Shukhnarenko, 42, is a Quality Assurance Engineer for humanitarian demining operations at the Ukrainian Deminers Association (UDA). She is originally from Bakhmut, Donetsk region, but following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, she was forced to relocate to Kyiv, where she now lives with her two daughters.

Her journey in humanitarian demining began eight years ago, when Tetiana decided to leave her job in banking to contribute to restoring Ukrainian land and clearing it of explosive remnants of war.

Read our interview to learn why Tetiana joined humanitarian demining, how her professional path has evolved, and what challenges she faces amid an unstable security situation and frequent power outages. 

What was your professional background before entering humanitarian demining?

Before joining the demining sector, I worked as an accountant and a consumer lending manager at a bank. I also helped my parents manage accounting for our family business.

We lived in Bakhmut, a region that had already been affected by hostilities long before 2022 due to the ATO [Anti-terrorist operation that began in spring 2014 after the start of Russian military aggression in Donetsk and Luhansk regions and the annexation of Crimea, lasted until 2018, and then transformed into the Joint Forces Operation (JFO)]. During that difficult time, our family faced a personal tragedy — my father was diagnosed with cancer, which significantly increased our financial burden.

Although he had a successful business and was a well-known blacksmith across Ukraine, the war, shelling, and general instability made our resources insufficient. This pushed me to seek new professional opportunities and take on greater responsibility to support my family.

Later, another turning point occurred. One day, we left our one-and-a-half-year-old daughter at home with my mother-in-law. That day, the area was shelled with Grad multiple rocket launchers. A projectile exploded near our yard, shattering the windows in the house. My mother-in-law shielded my child with her body as they were lying on the floor. She later told us the blast had thrown them about one and a half meters into the air. Everyone was in shock — and that was the moment I realized I had to act.

At that time, the international organization HALO Trust was recruiting and offering training. I saw it not only as a way to earn a living during a difficult period, but also as a real contribution to the community.

The transition was not easy — from office work to uniforms, heavy boots, fields, and physically demanding labor. The workload was enormous, both physically and mentally, but it strengthened me. I developed a strong inner motivation to prove that I could do it.

I worked with HALO Trust for four years, gaining solid practical experience in both manual and mechanical demining. I trained as a sapper-paramedic, a team leader, and worked in different locations with various types of hazards. Over time, I developed a systemic understanding of the entire process — from cooperation with local authorities to land clearance and final land release.

In 2022, due to security risks, we had to leave Bakhmut. Staying there with children was too dangerous. After relocating, I continued working in humanitarian demining in Kyiv, joining the Ukrainian Deminers Association (UDA), where I now work as a Quality Assurance Engineer.

At UDA, I significantly deepened and systematized my expertise. I completed additional training in non-technical survey, explosive ordnance risk education, and drone piloting. Being surrounded by highly experienced professionals willing to share their knowledge has been invaluable. This helped me better understand not only how I perform my work, but also why I do it and how I can continuously improve its quality.

In 2025, I completed international training at MAT Kosovo and obtained EOD Level 3 [Explosive Ordnance Disposal Level 3] certification. I also passed full national certification under Ukrainian standards, officially confirming my professional experience and qualifications. 

Photo: from Tetiana's personal archive 

For readers unfamiliar with this field, what does quality assurance in demining involve?

My work involves field-based quality control directly at operational sites. Over the years in mine action, I have become accustomed to working in the field and, frankly, that is where I feel most in my element. Prolonged office work is more challenging for me — after several days of reporting and planning, I want to return to the field again, regardless of weather or conditions.

Internal quality control covers all stages of mine action activities — from explosive ordnance risk education and non-technical survey to the actual clearance of sites. Depending on the type of work, I travel to the location and carry out monitoring in accordance with approved plans.

When monitoring explosive ordnance risk education activities, I assess the teams’ work directly during sessions: which materials they use, how they deliver information, and whether they follow the methodology. All results are recorded in internal monitoring checklists.

When it comes to non-technical survey, I work together with the team on-site: I verify the availability and accuracy of documentation, evacuation routes, information collected from local authorities, services, or landowners, as well as readiness to use technical tools, including UAVs [Unmanned Aerial Vehicles used in technical survey activities]. This is necessary for a comprehensive hazard analysis and for determining the subsequent status of the area — whether it requires technical survey or clearance, and which specific method should be applied.

At the clearance stage, quality control is carried out in accordance with the approved work plan, which has been validated by the Mine Action Center (MAC). I may be present both at the opening of a site and during ongoing operations: I check the organization of the administrative area, evacuation routes, marking, clearance methods, use of detectors, documentation management, and completion of progress maps.

Over the years of work, I have developed a clear understanding of expectations: all processes must be not only safe, but also transparent, efficient, and fully compliant with established standards.

How has Russia’s full-scale war changed the scale, pace, and level of responsibility of your work compared to the pre-war period?

The full-scale war has fundamentally transformed our work. I clearly remember my initial training, when we were introduced to a limited number of types of explosive hazards. Today, their diversity has increased many times over, which requires continuous training and professional development. This is precisely why EOD Levels 1–3 and international standards exist — because it is impossible to cover and know everything, yet it is essential to understand the underlying principles and risks.

The scale of contaminated territories has grown significantly, and the volume of work has multiplied. At the same time, the number of mine action operators has also increased — there are now more than a hundred certified operators. However, even with these rates and resources, the work ahead will take many years, and in some cases decades.

Along with the increased volume has come greater responsibility: the cost of mistakes has become higher, and quality and safety requirements have become stricter. Therefore, alongside the development of the sector itself, state support is critically important — particularly, stable funding, which makes it possible to expand capacity, improve efficiency, and accelerate the land clearance process. 

Photo: from Tetiana's personal archive 

Blackouts have become a new reality for the entire country. How do power and communication outages affect the planning, monitoring, and quality control of demining operations?

The greatest challenge today is the constant security threat. Air raid alerts, drone attacks, missile strikes, and mass shelling have not disappeared, and they directly affect our ability to work in the field. Our organization has a clear safety protocol in place: whenever a real threat emerges for a team in a region, all operations are immediately suspended and personnel are evacuated. There is always one priority — the lives and safety of our specialists.

We clearly remember the tragic incident when, as a result of a Russian strike in the Chernihiv region, two demining staff members from the Danish Refugee Council’s humanitarian mission were killed in September 2025. That is precisely why adherence to safety protocols is a fundamental principle for us — without exceptions.

Blackouts have become another challenge. The lack of electricity and communications significantly slows down work, especially during the stages of surveying, data collection, report preparation, and site mapping.

These factors do not stop operations completely, but they constantly require adjustments to plans and project timelines. This is the reality in which not only our team, but the entire country is working today.  

How does your team adapt to working under unstable electricity supply conditions?

The organization is constantly seeking technical solutions — backup power sources and alternative communication channels — but capacities remain limited in field conditions.

During government monitoring visits or donor missions, all processes are carefully planned with real conditions in mind — including the absence of electricity or internet connectivity. Field teams adjust their work to electricity supply schedules, planning site visits, surveys, report preparation, and mapping in order to make use of the few hours of stable connectivity or fully charged equipment. At times, this means working within very short timeframes as efficiently as possible.

These are not ideal conditions, but there is no alternative. We have learned to remain flexible, plan ahead, and rapidly adapt processes — because the work must continue despite all challenges.

Has your perception of your own work changed since 2022 — considering the scale of land contamination and its impact on communities?

My perception of my work has become deeper and more personal. I try not to cultivate anger or hatred toward the aggressor, because I understand that constantly focusing on this makes it difficult to move forward. Instead, I concentrate on concrete goals — clearing my native land, restoring the community, and returning home, where my roots are, and where photographs and memories remain that cannot be found anywhere else.

These losses are deeply felt: destroyed homes, a lost part of childhood, memories of parents — nothing can be brought back. But the work we do for the state and for communities gives meaning and hope.

I believe that one day the risks of shelling, mines, and blackouts will be eliminated, and our work will become more effective. I want to accelerate the process of demining and the restoration of peace. This goal is extremely important — it inspires and helps to overcome the fear and suffering that each of us is experiencing now. 

Photo: from Tetiana's personal archive 

What helps you stay focused and continue working?

First of all, I truly love my work. I enjoy developing in this field, sharing experience with teams, and continuously improving my skills. For me, work is not just a profession — it is a way to contribute to the community and the country.

Secondly, I have two children, and I am their only parent. I cannot allow myself to give up, because I am responsible for their education and well-being. My older daughter is in her second year at university, and my younger daughter is in fifth grade, and I cover their education costs and support them every day.

The lack of my own housing or my status as an internally displaced person leaves no time for despair. I need to act, plan, and dream about the future. I am grateful to our management, which finds resources and financial support for our work. This helps me stay motivated and focused, as I believe that what we do benefits not only me or my family, but the entire country.

I am inspired by dreams and small joys. Communication and support from colleagues are also very important. Meeting with friends, discussing plans, or simply supporting one another greatly helps restore my energy. And of course, I dream of having my own home — a safe space where one can laugh, feel joy, cry, and feel protected. My profession also helps me stay emotionally resilient. It teaches me to plan, assess risks, care for people, and at the same time value time with my family.

Looking to the future, how do you envision Ukraine’s recovery after the war — and the role of humanitarian demining in this process?

In Ukraine’s recovery, humanitarian demining, in my view, takes first place. Without surveying and clearing land, it is impossible to restore critical infrastructure, agricultural areas, and residential neighborhoods. Demining work makes it possible to plan recovery efforts. After that, reconstruction projects can be implemented, future plans can be developed, and funding can be attracted to support the country’s development.

Personally, for me as someone from Bakhmut, it is important that Bakhmut returns to Ukraine and is restored. It is a symbol that even after destruction, life and safety can return to our land. 

This publication has been produced within "She Demines" that is implemented by NGO “Ukrainian Deminers Association” and NGO “Girls” jointly with UN Women Ukraine and funded by Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development of Canada, and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia.with the financial support of the governments of Canada and Croatia, but this does not imply that the views and opinions expressed herein necessarily reflect the official position of the United Nations.