Active phase of Palmyra demining could begin in several days - ex-chief of Russian engineering troops
MOSCOW. March 30 (Interfax-AVN) - The Russian operation of demining Palmyra is likely to begin next week, a former head of the Russian engineering troops, Retired Lt. Gen. Nikolai Serdtsev told Interfax-AVN on Wednesday.
"They could begin next week. Preparations will take several days," he said.
On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said that is has sent to Syria a mixed team from an anti-mine center. The team will take part in the demining of Palmyra.
"They need to get to the area, study it, so that every bomb disposal expert can feel the specifics of the task. It is a challenging task: to preserve both lives and cultural artifacts," said the former top army engineer.
"The entire operation of demining Palmyra could take several months," he said.
The robotic systems, Uran-6, which have been sent to Syria, are unlikely to be widely used in the demining of Palmyra because of the powerful explosive effect.
"They can be efficient in demining fields, roads, parts of a mountainous area. I don't think they will be actively used in Palmyra proper, where destruction could be serious, or, for example, the task is to preserve buildings and historical structures," Serdtsev said.
"Currently, our troops have a very broad spectrum of demining tools, from mechanical to robotic ones. But in Palmyra most of the work will have to be done manually. It is hot there. People will be in special gear. It is going to be a hard work," Serdtsev told Interfax-AVN a day earlier.
A spokesperson for the Russian Defense Ministry said that as well as bomb disposal experts, the Russian team includes a subunit of experts with mine-detecting dogs trained to detect explosives. Modern Uran-6 robotic systems will be used during the demining.