The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) entered southern Lebanon over twenty years ago. Over that time the Blue Berets have lost about 300 representatives from nine countries. In May 2000, under international pressure, Israel agreed to pull out from the disputed areas. At that point the UN approached Ukraine with a request to send to the area a peacekeeping contingent, and its members already has something to be proud of.
650 Ukrainian Blue Berets are at work at 55 positions within responsibility zones of Indian, Finnish, Ghanaian, Irish, Nepalese and Fijian battalions. Over less than three months the Ukrainian battalion, known as Ukrbat has carried out seven minesweeping operations covering a total of 113,245 square meters of area and 10,880 square meters of roads. About 800 mines and other hazardous objects have been cleared, including 743 antipersonnel mines, 20 flares, plus 28 artillery shells, grenades, and mortar bombs. In the preceding 22 years UNIFIL had neutralized only 56 explosive objects in this region. Ukrbat’s tasks include fortifying positions, preparing and equipping passages, digging and construction works, supplying power, and providing humanitarian aid, especially where medical service is priority.
Parallel to clearing mines, the Ukrainians have reconnoitered the location for two passages through minefields. In addition, they have prepared sites having a total area of 107,035 square meters, four helicopter pads, dug 546 running meters of trenches and 26 foundation pits, assembled and dismantled 125 modules, taken apart 192 reinforced metal elements, installed 1,245 meters of fencing, put up 1,480 square meters of ramparts, and 437 running meters of electricity lines.
“According to the government, to completely clear Lebanon of mines will take about forty years,” said Lebanese Fadel Hashush. “But it would be all right for our people if the Ukrainians stay here for even a hundred years. For they have become so dear to us, like brothers. We think that the 800 mines cleared by the Ukrainian peacekeepers represent a minimum of 800 people’s lives saved. Today all Lebanese, young and old, pray for the Ukrainian lads. We are very grateful to them”.
Most Ukrainian commissioned and noncommissioned officers have learned the smell of gunpowder in Afghanistan, as well as in defusing mines and shells from World War II. The battalion commander alone has a score of 4,500 liquidated high explosives. Fate has more than once tested the strength of staff commander Col. Valery Aborin, deputy commander for mine clearing Lt. Col. Oleksandr Andriyevych, and engineering company commander Lt. Col. Bohdan Bondar. Despite their youth, platoon commander Lt. Vitaly Kuz, Capt. Serhiy Rokun and Capt. Ihor Turovych, proved themselves even before Lebanon.
Making the way to their designated area was the first serious test for the Ukrainian military. The redeployment of the Third Special Engineering Battalion was carried out by ship and plane to Beirut. Disembarkation of the battalion was completed on July 21. The battalion’s machinery was redeployed to the companies’ location within a week. Behind these seemingly bare words lie extremely difficult marches by columns of 10 to 15 machines, under rugged highland conditions, along narrow roads with steep turns and inclines. The route varied from 90 to 150 kilometers. In addition, the temperature was 50 C, but not even such heat could not stop the boys.
Ukrainian units based in the responsibility zone of the Fijian Battalion close to Buid-Os-Said arrived at an absolutely vacant spot with nothing but wild bushes and heaps of garbage. They had to begin from scratch and reconnoitered the area for explosives. They had to roll up their sleeves immediately. Ukrainians found 14 various mines and booby traps. At this spot the commander of the Australian contingent fell victim to one such booby trap camouflaged as a stone. His wish to have a swim on a hot day cost him a leg.
The Fijians from day one have hailed ordinary Ukrainian soldiers as officers. Which is usually followed by “Ukraine! Very good!” in English for quite a while. The Poles consider our men their brothers. And to the Irish, who were rescued by Ukrainian sappers after being hopelessly caught in a minefield, they have become saints. In fact, all other national contingents had refused to help except for providing food and water by helicopter.
Strict adherence to service regulations and a neat appearance is the norm for everyone. But at the place of Ukrbat’s deployment there is no tent or bungalow (what they call small mobile trailers here), where the Ukrainian national spirit, surprising to many, is absent.
Perhaps not all of the 279 Lebanese that applied for medical aid to our hospital, were in critical condition. However, Ukrainian medics really have saved several dozen lives. Today the issue is raised about opening a sort of medical station in one of the houses of a local magnate.
Ukrainian engineering battalion continued another good tradition started during its peacekeeping operations in the former Yugoslavia. During their stay in Lebanon, they delivered 400 kilos of foodstuffs to the civilian population on a humanitarian basis.
The UNIFIL commander, Ghanaian General Kofi Obeng, devoted most of the time during his meeting with Deputy Defense Minister of Ukraine Lt. Gen. Oleksandr Chapovsky to a lengthy, by military standards, enumeration of the jobs well done by the Ukrainian peacekeepers, and concluded simply by saying, “I have never in my life seen such soldiers.”








