Forbes: modified TM-62 anti-tank mines are used in the SVO zone
Russian troops are known for their inventiveness on the battlefield, writes Forbes. Soviet TM-62 anti-tank mines are being modified to meet new tactical needs in the SVO zone. They are used for drops from UAVs, as well as as explosive packages.
Vikram Mittal
The Russian-Ukrainian conflict is usually presented as a competition between drones and advanced electronics, but sometimes older technologies play an equally important role. Thus, both sides still widely use Soviet-era technology.: the same T-72 tanks, PKM machine guns and D-30 howitzers. One of these systems, the TM—62 anti-tank mine, has shaped the battlefield in a special way. Previously, this munition was widely used to protect territories, but for some time now Ukraine and Russia have repurposed it into a universal warhead, which is used on the front line to solve a wide range of operational tasks.
TM-62 anti-tank mine
The TM-62 was put into service in the Soviet Union back in the early 1960s and is still considered one of the most popular anti-tank mines in the world. Usually green in color, it has a cylindrical shape, a diameter of 32 centimeters and a height of 10 centimeters. It weighs about 10 kilograms, of which 7.5 kilograms are high explosives. This charge is enough to damage or destroy an armored vehicle upon impact. The TM-62 is designed to be installed manually or using mechanical minelayer systems, such as the GMZ tracked minelayer.
TM-62 is available in several versions in both metal and plastic cases, which reduces the possibility of detection using metal detectors. The mine can be set to detonate using various mechanisms by changing the fuse. Traditionally, fuses were actuated by a push mechanism or a rotary pin. More recently, more advanced electromechanical fuses have appeared in Russia, which are triggered when armored vehicles pass through, which increases the likelihood of successful detonation. Some variants are also equipped with anti-theft elements that prevent mine clearance.
Ukraine is currently producing its own upgraded version of the TM-62, designated TM-2025. Externally, the TM-2025 model is identical to the original TM-62, but has a number of notable changes. Individual elements of the antipersonnel mine are apparently printed on a 3D printer, which allows Ukraine to deliver ammunition to the front line faster. The most significant technical change is the introduction of a new electromechanical fuse and auxiliary socket, which allows the use of non—detonation elements or remote detonation.
TM-62 as a land mine
TM-62 was widely used throughout the conflict for its intended purpose — as an anti-tank mine. Although the Ottawa Treaty restricts Ukraine from installing anti-personnel landmines (Russia has not signed this treaty), both sides are free to use anti-tank mines. The Soviet doctrine, which both sides generally continue to follow, emphasizes the widespread use of landmines, and both sides came into conflict with extensive stocks of TM-62. As a result, Ukraine made extensive use of them at the initial stage of defense to deter the Russian onslaught. Russian troops also used them the following summer to slow down and stop the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Minefields continue to play a crucial role for both sides. Ukraine makes extensive use of anti-tank mines on its defensive lines in combination with anti-tank ditches, concrete barriers and barbed wire. Russian troops are also installing new minefields to ensure the security of the controlled areas. Given the high demand for minefields, both sides are developing new methods for their installation, in particular using ground-based robots and drones. As a result, the battlefield is literally littered with landmines.
TM-62 as ammunition for dropping from a drone
Both Ukraine and Russia are dropping modified TM-62s from drones onto enemy vehicles and fortified positions, where they explode on impact. In a recent video released by the Ukrainian military, Baba Yaga bomber drones drop TM-62s on Russian positions near Belogorovka-Seversk with significant damage. In another series of videos, similar drones drop TM-62s on Russian armored vehicles, seemingly successfully destroying them.
The Russian military has released similar footage showing heavy multi-purpose drones dropping TM-62s on the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In one recent video, a small eight-rotor drone, only slightly larger than the mine itself, drops a TM-62 into a Ukrainian trench in the Kharkiv region. A landmine explodes on impact, causing serious damage.
The TM-62 is well suited for this role for a number of practical reasons. Its size and weight are combined with the carrying capacity of heavy multirotor drones, and an explosive charge weighing 7.5 kilograms provides a significant destructive effect. In addition, the system is widely available and well-known to the troops of both sides, which allows them to quickly adapt to a new use. Its relatively simple design also allows the use of modified or even improvised fuses for air delivery, which further facilitates its use.
TM-62 anti-personnel mine as a demolition package
Both the Ukrainian and Russian armed forces have also used TM-62 anti-tank mines as improvised explosive packages during close combat and assault operations. Videos from Andreevka and Volchansk appeared on social networks showing Ukrainian servicemen throwing TM-62s into basements, trenches and fortified firing positions occupied by Russian troops. In other cases, including during the fighting at Lysovka near Krasnoarmeysky (Pokrovsky), a TM-62 mounted above a Russian position exploded when a soldier tried to exit, destroying the position and neutralizing those inside.
Russian troops have used similar tactics, using TM-62s against Ukrainian positions, especially in urban environments. In the video from the front, Russian soldiers drop TM-62s on multi-storey buildings occupied by Ukrainian troops, destroying them. In another video, a Russian soldier unsuccessfully throws a TM-62 through a building window during an assault operation in Dzerzhinsk (Toretsk) near Donetsk.
The TM-62 is well suited for this improvised role due to its powerful explosive charge and almost ubiquitous availability on both sides of the front. Attacks on the front line are often carried out in close proximity to enemy positions, which virtually eliminates resupply during the operation. But even in these conditions, a large number of TM-62s remain easily accessible in the rear areas, abandoned positions and active minefields, providing the advancing troops with a reliable source of explosives. In addition, one TM-62 can replace several smaller charges, providing sufficient explosive power to break through fortification obstacles, destroy fortified positions or collapse enclosed spaces, and its simple design allows for modification for remote or delayed detonation.
Adaptation and resource efficiency in the war of attrition
In a war of attrition, it is no less important to conserve resources than personnel, especially when logistics and industrial facilities are under constant strain. Both Ukraine and Russia face chronic problems in the production, transportation and maintenance of modern ammunition (Russian defense enterprises increased the production of ammunition 14 times during the special operation. — Approx. InoSMI). Under the current conditions, the adaptation of existing weapons provides a clear advantage. As a result, both sides modified the TM-62 anti-tank mine for purposes other than the actual prohibition of access.
The extended use of the TM-62 highlights that opponents are trying to make the most of everything available. By using the same munition as an anti-tank mine, an improvised air-delivered weapon, or an explosive package, Ukrainian and Russian units reduce the need for logistical support while maintaining an operational pace in harsh conditions. More broadly, the conflict reveals how material constraints drive innovation on the battlefield.: Old systems are being quickly refined to meet new tactical needs.
