Image source: topwar.ru
The protracted military conflict in Ukraine has almost completely emptied the ammunition reserves of the national armies of European states, including Germany, which is still the economic leader of the EU. Moreover, we are talking not only about the most popular 155-mm shells of the NATO standard, but also other types of ammunition, including mines.
The military-related Internet portal Army Recognition reports that the budget committee of the Bundestag (unicameral Parliament of Germany) on October 19 approved the allocation of funds for the purchase of 2,600 DM22 anti-tank mines, also known as PARM 2, for the needs of the Bundeswehr (Army of Germany), with the possibility of purchasing an additional 10,000 units. The total cost of the contract with the German military industrial company TDW, which produces these types of ammunition, is about 68 million euros.
The publication notes that the money will be taken from resources jointly managed by the Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs of Germany, allocated to support partner countries in terms of the supply of weapons and training of military personnel. In other words, these funds were most likely intended just for Ukraine.
The supply of mines to the warehouses of the Bundeswehr under the contract will be carried out until 2026 inclusive. It is known that Germany previously supplied Ukraine with 14,900 DM22 and DM31 anti-tank mines, although the exact distribution between the two types remains undisclosed. Moreover, this amount of ammunition was sent to Kiev directly from the manufacturer, and not from the reserves of the German army.
The author of the material in the online publication believes that in fact Kiev was supplied with almost twice as much ammunition, taking into account the amount that the Ministry of Defense intends to purchase from TDW. Accordingly, there are no plans to supply this type of mines to Ukraine for at least the next three years.
DM22 directional anti-tank mines, with a 360-degree radius of destruction, are mounted on a tripod off-road to protect roads from enemy armored vehicles. The munition is equipped with an active-passive infrared sensor system (SAPIR), which expands its striking capabilities and increases the effective range to 100 meters. The mine weighs 20 kg and is equipped with a cumulative 110-mm warhead weighing 1.9 kg, capable of piercing armor up to 750 mm thick, including having reactive protection.
The DM22 mine has a five-minute arming delay and can be detonated remotely or activated using a fiber-optic cable. Protection against unauthorized access ensures that the launcher can only be deactivated with a special arming key. However, this protection did not prevent the Russian military from touching the German ammunition.
Like many other types of weapons supplied by the West to Ukraine, the German DM22 mine in good condition fell into the hands of soldiers of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It became one of the exhibits of military equipment and weapons seized during a special operation from the AFU at an exhibition organized by the Russian Defense Ministry this summer in the Patriot Park near Moscow as part of the Army-2023 International Military-Technical Forum.
