Project overview
Interdisciplinary Research Pump-Priming scheme: ?6,800.
The use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA) disproportionately harms civilians, causing both immediate and long-term physical and psychological consequences. Global statistics reported a 122% rise in civilian fatalities from explosive weapons in 2023 compared to the previous year. These weapons can cause traumatic injuries (e.g., amputations, sensory damage) and psychological distress, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Ukraine has witnessed widespread destruction, displacement, and loss of life since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Among the explosive weapons deployed, landmines pose particularly enduring threats due to their capacity to remain active for years, continuing to injure or kill long after fighting has ceased.
Landmines have been identified in 11 of Ukraine’s 25 oblasts since the invasion, contributing to nearly 40,000 civilian casualties. Landmines are designed to maim rather than kill, and often result in long-term physical disability and mental health conditions. Beyond direct harm, they limit mobility, obstruct access to vital services, and generate chronic fear among residents. For displaced individuals, landmine presence can shape not only the decision to flee, but also restrict safe routes and resettlement options, consequently disrupting livelihoods and family structures.
In 2022, we conducted a nonprobability pilot survey with 2,201 Ukrainian civilians exposed to blast events since the beginning of the war. Of these, 11% reported landmine exposure. This group showed higher rates of both PTSD and blast-induced hearing injury (BIHI) compared to those exposed to other weapon types (e.g., artillery, airstrikes, rockets). Mediation analyses revealed that PTSD partially explained the link between landmine exposure and BIHI. However, the pilot lacked contextual detail (e.g., participants’ physical positioning during exposure), or insights into how landmine exposure affected movement and displacement. For example, individuals may have moved due to fears of future blasts or from the disabling effects of BIHI, but such patterns remain poorly documented.
This follow-up pilot study seeks to address these gaps by exploring the complex interplay between landmine exposure, BIHI, PTSD, and displacement among civilians in urbanised, conflict-affected areas of Ukraine.
The use of explosive weapons in populated areas (EWIPA) disproportionately harms civilians, causing both immediate and long-term physical and psychological consequences. Global statistics reported a 122% rise in civilian fatalities from explosive weapons in 2023 compared to the previous year. These weapons can cause traumatic injuries (e.g., amputations, sensory damage) and psychological distress, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Ukraine has witnessed widespread destruction, displacement, and loss of life since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. Among the explosive weapons deployed, landmines pose particularly enduring threats due to their capacity to remain active for years, continuing to injure or kill long after fighting has ceased.
Landmines have been identified in 11 of Ukraine’s 25 oblasts since the invasion, contributing to nearly 40,000 civilian casualties. Landmines are designed to maim rather than kill, and often result in long-term physical disability and mental health conditions. Beyond direct harm, they limit mobility, obstruct access to vital services, and generate chronic fear among residents. For displaced individuals, landmine presence can shape not only the decision to flee, but also restrict safe routes and resettlement options, consequently disrupting livelihoods and family structures.
In 2022, we conducted a nonprobability pilot survey with 2,201 Ukrainian civilians exposed to blast events since the beginning of the war. Of these, 11% reported landmine exposure. This group showed higher rates of both PTSD and blast-induced hearing injury (BIHI) compared to those exposed to other weapon types (e.g., artillery, airstrikes, rockets). Mediation analyses revealed that PTSD partially explained the link between landmine exposure and BIHI. However, the pilot lacked contextual detail (e.g., participants’ physical positioning during exposure), or insights into how landmine exposure affected movement and displacement. For example, individuals may have moved due to fears of future blasts or from the disabling effects of BIHI, but such patterns remain poorly documented.
This follow-up pilot study seeks to address these gaps by exploring the complex interplay between landmine exposure, BIHI, PTSD, and displacement among civilians in urbanised, conflict-affected areas of Ukraine.
