You're reading: New York Times: Battling wildfire and pandemic, Ukraine faces a new foe — landmines

New York Times: Battling wildfire and pandemic, Ukraine faces a new foe — landmines

Published Oct. 4, 2020 at 1:05 am

The forest fires erupted in eastern Ukrainian Luhansk Oblast on Sept. 30, 2020. As of Oct. 2 the natural disaster covered nearly 13,000 hectares and killed 11 people.

Photo by The State Emergency Service

A wildfire burning out of control in the war zone in eastern Ukraine is setting off land mines in a buffer area between government forces and Russian-backed separatists, complicating the already dangerous work of fire crews facing hot, dry and windy conditions.