Even now, almost 80 years since WWII ended, civilians are still stumbling across land mines left over from the war.
In fact, France collects roughly 1,000 tons of unexploded ordnance per year — some of which dates back more than 100 years to WWI and WWII.
Other more recently planted minefields are even more dangerous, killing and maiming civilians who have no idea they’re there.
And now Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has created a whole new hotbed.
Over the past year and a half, Russia has deployed thousands of mines to keep Ukraine from regaining its territory. In fact, Ukraine has surpassed Afghanistan and Syria to become the most heavily mined country on Earth.
And it’s taking a toll.
As of this month, these mines were responsible for at least 264 civilian deaths and 830 injuries. And the number of land mine victims could reach 9,000 by 2030 if they aren’t cleared.
Unfortunately, with 67,000 square miles (a third of the country) to cover and thousands of mines to find, it’s going to be a laborious process.
Humanitarian experts say it could take 500 de-mining teams (the number currently operating) 757 years to finish the job.
It’s a costly effort, too — one the World Bank estimates could exceed $37 billion.
But here’s the good news…
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An AI company that I recently recommended to subscribers (and which has already doubled in value) is coming to the rescue.
This firm’s sophisticated technology is literally acting as a lifesaver, helping the Ukrainians find and clear mines at an unprecedented pace.
With this tool, as well as some others, officials hope to bring 80% of contaminated land back into use in just 10 years.
With just a laptop, this company’s software can produce a map of the entire country — a map overlaid with a pattern of hexagonal tiles that range in color depending on how densely mined a specific region is.
It can also use filters to highlight areas that are close to schools or power plants. And the filters can show whether the territory is occupied or liberated, or if the land in question is in use.
A dashboard tracks confirmed and suspected hazards, incidents, and fatalities; the number of buildings affected; and the size of the hazardous area, while a real-time ticker aggregates news articles and other related reports.
And with up-to-date satellite imagery, it can flag a suspected land mine, tagging its exact location for clearing crews.
Indeed, it’s a sprawling platform built with data from government agencies including the Ministries of Education, Defense, Agriculture, Energy, and Infrastructure, as well as cellphone data from Ukrainian mobile operators, which can tell how many people are actually living in an area or using certain roads.
By combining and correlating these data sets into a single stream, the AI model can even determine which mine clearances will have the biggest impact.
That could mean anything from improving driving times to hospitals to restoring power or rebuilding bridges and schools where the data shows it would impact the most people.
This kind of information is literally priceless, as it holds the power to save lives. And beyond that, it could help Ukrainian forces resuscitate their counteroffensive and restore huge tracts of valuable farmland that have been rendered unusable.
Even if it just means using AI to more quickly greenlight land for redevelopment if no evidence of mines shows up.
That’s not the only tool Ukraine has in the chest, either.
AI-powered mine-detecting drones are also being used to revamp, technify, and accelerate a laborious mine-clearing process that hasn’t changed in decades.
The unmanned aerial mine detector works four times faster than humans, using thermal, hyperspectral, and magnetometer sensors to detect mines from a low altitude and transmit that information back to operators at a secure location.
Obviously, AI algorithms are being used offensively, too. They’ve increased the accuracy of Ukrainian drone and artillery strikes, providing valuable and lethal reconnaissance and targeting assistance.
Ukraine is also using AI facial recognition technology to identify living and dead Russian soldiers and war criminals.
And like I said, I just released a huge report on the company that’s behind Ukraine’s most advanced AI projects.
All you have to do to check it out is click here.
Fight on, Jason Simpkins Simpkins is the founder and editor of Secret Stock Files, an investment service that focuses on companies with assets — tangible resources and products that can hold and appreciate in value. He covers mining companies, energy companies, defense contractors, dividend payers, commodities, staples, legacies and more… In 2023 he joined The Wealth Advisory team as a defense market analyst where he reviews and recommends new military and government opportunities that come across his radar, especially those that spin-off healthy, growing income streams. For more on Jason, check out his editor’s page. Be sure to visit our Angel Investment Research channel on YouTube and tune into Jason’s podcasts. Want to hear more from Jason? Sign up to receive emails directly from him ranging from market commentaries to opportunities that he has his eye on. 
