MOSCOW, June 9. /TASS/. Russian Armed Forces and Ministry of Emergency Situations sappers have neutralized almost 17,000 explosive devices in Donbass, including about 2,000 during the past 24 hours, Russian National Defense Control Center head Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev said Thursday.

"Demining squads of the Russian Armed Forces and Ministry of Emergency Situations perform missions on clearing Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics of explosive devices. A total of 2,941.79 hectares have been inspected already, 42.52 of them - during the past 24 hours; [in the past 24 hours] 35 buildings [have been inspected], 13 of them being socially important objects, one bridge and 9.64 kilometers of roads. A total of 16,990 explosive devices have been neutralized, 1,903 of them during the past 24 hours," Mizintsev said.

Earlier on Thursday, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Lieutenant General Igor Konashenkov announced that Russian engineering troops commenced demining of roads and woods at the Svyatiye Gory national park near settlements of Svyatogorsk, Yarovaya, Studenok and Sosnovoye, DPR. In the past 24 hours, the specialists discovered and neutralized 126 explosive devices planted by Ukrainian nationalists, including 54 anti-tank mines.

Meanwhile, Russian National Guard sappers neutralized over 1,000 explosive devices in the Kharkov Region, National Guard press office told TASS Thursday.

"In one week, Russian National Guard officers eliminated over 1,000 unexploded rounds, which appear during Ukrainian nationalists’ shelling of Kharkov Region shelling," the statement says.

The agency noted that neutralized rounds include artillery and mortar shells, grenade launcher rounds, Grad and Uragan rockets.

"Russian National Guard engineering and sapper units conduct daily reconnaissance in liberated settlements of the Kharkov Region for explosive devices. Particularly dangerous ordnance is being disposed of at a dedicated location away from settlements. The sappers also take additional measures to limit the explosion effect area," the National Guard said.