In Ukraine, a remote destructor was presented for safer and cheaper disposal of explosive devices
Оleksii Botnarenko stated during the press conference “Sapper Assistant: a new innovative level of safety for sappers” at the press center of Interfax-Ukraine that a remote destructor for eliminating explosive devices has been developed and tested in Ukraine. The system ensures increased personnel safety and significantly reduces the cost of humanitarian demining.
“Before the full-scale invasion, the only method of destroying explosive devices was the use of TNT charges. This created additional risks for sappers. Our task is to find an alternative that minimizes human involvement in dangerous processes and makes them cheaper,” Botnarenko noted.
According to him, the new remote destructor is mounted on a robotic platform that can move in difficult conditions and is equipped with a manipulator for handling suspicious objects. “This allows not only to destroy ammunition but also to safely check whether an item is explosive,” he explained.
Botnarenko emphasized that the technology is environmentally friendly, as it does not use open fire or explosions, but instead destroys the casing of ammunition with an inert medium - water or metallic elements. The remains after destruction are either disposed of or can be recycled.
“The cost of using and producing these devices is several times lower than global analogues. The weight of the complex is about 25 kg, which makes it mobile and convenient to use,” he added.
As Botnarenko reported, a 120-mm mortar fragmentation shell was successfully destroyed during testing this morning. “The trials were completed without any complications,” he stressed.
