DOVO has had a busy year in West Flanders. “In 2025, a record number of ammunition was collected in the province,” says West Flemish provincial councilor Kurt Himpe (N-VA), based on figures from Defense Minister Theo Francken. “No fewer than 2,712 pieces were collected by the Service for the Clearance and Destruction of Explosive Devices, approximately 25 percent more than in 2024. A total of 4,093 pieces were collected by DOVO last year, of which 66 percent were in West Flanders. This is of course no surprise, especially because of the First World War that took place in that province for years.”
8,151 toxic projectiles
“Currently, 8,151 projectiles are still waiting for destruction at the DOVO site in Poelkapelle, of which 6,542 are conventional and 1,609 are toxic projectiles,” says provincial councilor Kurt Himpe. “Since the dismantling building was stopped, only projectiles have been destroyed on the site. For this purpose, there is a Static Detonation Chamber and a Contained Detonation Chamber in Poelkapelle.”
“Over the past five years, 10,000 rounds of ammunition were destroyed, of which just over 1,000 projectiles were destroyed in 2025. It is impossible to estimate when there will be an actual decrease in the remaining stock of ammunition, as there has been a continuous influx of projectiles to this day,” concludes provincial councilor Kurt Himpe.
