MINE HUNTER 

Harry follows in mum Diana’s footsteps on Ukraine de-mining mission – as he pilots drone & controls robot dog Spot

PRINCE Harry embraced his mother Princess Diana’s legacy by supporting Halo de-miners clearing bombs and rockets in Ukraine.

The Duke of Sussex flew spotter drones and controlled a robotic dog, called Spot, which Halo Trust de-miners use to retrieve unexploded ordnance more safely.

Harry joins HALO staff clearing a minefield just outside the Ukrainian capital near BuchaCredit: Simon Jones
 

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Iconic images of Harry’s mother, the late Princess Diana, show her walking across a minefield in blast proof protective gear in 1997Credit: Getty
 

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Harry with Sun Defence Editor Jerome Starkey and photographer Simon JonesCredit: Simon Jones
Harry, a former Apache helicopter pilot, enjoyed flying one of the drones so much he asked to have second go.

He told The Sun: “That is so much fun”.

He hailed the de-miner’s “incredible work”. But said it was “very sad” and depressing that almost 30 years after his mum put landmines in the spotlight it remains a global problem.

He said: “It’s very, very sad because nearly 30 years since my mother was in Angola here we are again.”

Russia and Ukraine both scatter mines from drones to defend the positions without detailed records of where they are laid.

Harry added: “The clean-up of this – separate from the loss of life and the scars on the land, on the communities on the people – the clean-up that is going to be needed here is going to be well into the next two, three, maybe even four decades.”

It was the Duke’s first visit to a Halo Trust minefield since he retraced his mother’s footsteps in Angola last year.

Iconic pictures of Princess Di wearing Halo’s sky blue protective armour helped to secure a global landmines ban in 1997.

Harry, 41, wore similar protective gear as he walked through a forest north west of Kyiv that that was occupied by Russian forces in the first weeks of their full scale invasion.

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The Duke also had a play with the dronesCredit: Simon Jones
 

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It was the Duke’s first visit to Halo Trust minefield since he retraced his mother’s footsteps in Angola last yearCredit: Simon Jones
 

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Harry got to grips with two drones and a robot dog called SpotCredit: Simon Jones
Putin’s troops hid 23 ammo trucks inside the Myrotske forest to resupply units assaulting nearby Bucha, Irpin and Hostomel airfield.

But Ukraine’s defenders unmasked their positions and blasted the trucks to smithereens as they liberated the region in March 2022.

Devastating explosions tore down trees and scattered countless pieces of ammunition across the forest.

Halo Trust have found more than 320 pieces over the last three months, including truck-launched Grad rockets, 152mm heavy artillery shells, hand grenades and 23mm ammunition for belt-fed cannons.

Olga Golovina, from the charity, said: “The force of the explosions buried a lot of the ammunition under the ground.”

Harry said: “What Halo Trust is doing is absolutely incredible work.”

He thanked the trust’s supporters including Howard Buffet – son of the billionaire Warren – who donated  £25 million for mine operations in Ukraine.

More than 6,000 people were injured by landmines left over from wars in 2024.

He said: “Thank God for Halo Trust. The world mobilises and good people come together to try to fix some of these problems.”

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The Duke of Sussex flew spotter drones and controlled a robotic dog, called Spot, which Halo Trust de-miners use to retrieve unexploded ordnance more safelyCredit: Simon Jones
 

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Halo Trust have found more than 320 pieces over the last three monthsCredit: Simon Jones