Bomb disposal training funded by Jersey Overseas Aid

Jersey Overseas Aid has helped fund the bomb disposal training

About 100 people have been trained to carry out bomb disposal in Ukraine as part of funding from Jersey Overseas Aid.

The training is done in Kosovo by the charity Friends of Ukraine Explosive Ordnance Disposal.

Over the past 18 months, Jersey Overseas Aid has been supporting the people of Ukraine who have been affected by the Russian war.

Ben Remfrey, from the charity, described the island as a "force for good".

Interpreter Uliana Yurenko helps teach bomb disposal at the training centre Mat Kosovo.

She said: "So far each and every trainee that's been through our courses are absolutely safe and sound and have not been injured."

She added: "As of this moment 30% of my country is heavily contaminated in terms of explosive ordnance.

"I do not have fear but I try to accept the fact it's not within my lifetime I'll see Ukraine absolutely cleared of explosive ordnance and even in my children's lifetime.

"That's the reality, you have to live with it.

"I can't create my family there anymore because every day I'd be scared my child would go into the forest and pick up something shiny and it might be an explosive ordnance."

Jersey's government recently provided an extra £400k through Jersey Overseas Aid to provide supplies and training to Ukraine.

The total funding during the conflict from JOA, the government and the Bailiffs Ukraine Appeal is £3.4m.