Russia is using an anti-tank mine that launches itself into the air and rains down explosive metal projectiles on its target in its military operation in Ukraine, according to reports by news agencies.
The anti-tank mine is called PTKM-1R top-attack mine and weighs roughly 21 kgs. The PTKM-1R has four directional acoustic sensors and seismic sensors which set off once the armoured vehicle or tank is within 100 metres. Once it senses the tank or the armoured vehicle then it tilts at a 30-degree angle towards the vehicle and also has the target in its sights. The mine is placed on the ground with its eight legs folded outwards to keep it facing above.
Once the target is locked down the PTKM-1R mine launches a 2.8kg explosive warhead – or submunition – to a height of at least 100 metres above the target while the rest of the mine keeps scanning the ground for the vehicles movements. The submunition then fires an explosive metal projectile which travels at a speed fast enough to blast through the usual 2.75 inch thick steel armour on traditional tanks.
The PTKM-1R mine follows a similar make like that of the US-made M93 Hornet Wide-Area Munition, news agency the Daily Telegraph said in a report.
The anti-tank mine can also breach a tank’s turret and cause an explosion after entering the tank’s compartment which stores the ammunition. It puts the tank crew in high risk and can lead to death.
The vulnerability of tanks was exposed by Ukrainian forces as they attacked tanks from top and disabled many Russian tanks since the onset of the war on Ukraine.
The Russians have been using the PTKM-1R mine since 2020 and said that the mines are able to differentiate between armoured vehicles, tanks and normal civilian vehicles. The PTKM-1R mine detects the sound of approaching vehicles and compares the audio to a predetermined target list. Russian manufacturers say that this ability of the mine stops the unnecessary deaths of civilians. The claim could not be verified independently.
The Ukrainian forces photographed one such PTKM-1R mine placed in a field earlier this week, the Daily Mail said in a report.
(with inputs from the Daily Mail, the Armament Research Services blog and the Daily Telegraph)
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