In April 2022, Russian troops withdrew from Sumy Oblast after suffering heavy losses.
The fighting has left its mark: Destroyed houses, roadblocks and mined fields.

Roo prepares explosive charges with Kristina to demonstrate the principles of controlled
detonation of unexploded ordnance. Roo is from Australia and Kristina is Ukrainian who grew up in the UK.

There is not much to do between the training sessions, the village in which the school is located is very rural.
There are no paved roads. At some point, the village ran out of children, which is why the school has been empty for years.

Roo explains how to defuse particularly dangerous anti-personnel mines in the school's converted gymnasium.
The O3M-72 is triggered with a tripwire that is barely visible in the tall grass. The wall in the background reads: Our greatest victory - health.

Markian demonstrates how to approach a mine barrier. He is considering staying in Ukraine this time:
As a deminer, he has a job to do here for the next 30 years, he says.

In a patch of forest three kilometers from the Russian border, the training course is to be applied:
The EOD team buries landmines and sets up booby traps to be detected by the Ukrainians.

The group sets off in an old Soviet-style truck to a "polygon", a shooting and demolition training area between cornfields.
They are to practice with live explosives there.

Small blocks of plastic explosives are used for the controlled detonation
of unexploded ordnance and mines. They are ignited with a long fuse and a match.