In recent weeks there have been a spate videos showing Russian troops using TM-62 anti-tank mines as improvised satchel charges. We’ve already seen TM-62s used as drone dropped munitions and as demolition charges. The videos shared most recently show the dramatic effect that the TM-62s can have on structures. But they aren’t the first videos of the mines being used in this way to emerge from the conflict.
Back in April 2023, overwatch drone footage was shared which showed a Ukrainian soldier using a satchel charge, which appears to be a TM-62, to destroy a Russian fighting position. The charge detonates about 10 seconds after it’s tossed into the position. Almost a year later in early March 2024, another piece of drone footage showed troops from the 2nd mechanised battalion of the 30th mechanised brigade destroying what appears to be the entrance to a cellar near Syn’kivka, in Kharkiv Oblast, with a TM-62 satchel charge.
Several days later another video showed a member of the 81st Airmobile Brigade using a TM-62 to destroy Russian dugouts near Bilohorivka. In the video a Ukrainian serviceman can be seen lighting a length of safety fuze which appears to be taped to the body of the mine. He then throws the mine into a hole in the roof of a dugout and takes cover – approximately 20 seconds later it detonates. Several grenades are thrown into the dugout and another mine is brought up, we can see the mine is being carried by its attachable webbing carrying handle. The safety fuze on the mine is lit and thrown into a covered section of trench and detonated approximately 22 seconds later.
On 12 April, the 109th Territorial Defense Brigade shared video of urban operations in which Ukrainian troops, with covering fire from HMMWVs, used satchel charges to destroy several buildings. The drone footage of the operation isn’t clear enough to make out if the satchel charges used are TM-62 based but the charges clearly have a significant blast effect.
Depending on the variant TM-62s mine are packed with 7.5kg (17lbs) of explosive and is normally centrally fuzed by a mechanical MVCh-62 pressure fuze. It is a High-Explosive Blast (HE-Blast) mine typically with a TNT filling. While extremely potent they aren’t designed to be thrown, weighing 9.5–10kg (20-22lbs).
While in some videos its clear that some sort of cord fuze was used to initiate the mine in some of the more recent footage it appears that grenade fuzes may have been used. This gives the user very little time to escape the blast radius.
On 2 July, a Russian telegram channel shared the first of several videos of Russian troops using TM-62s to clear positions. The location of the video isn’t stated but it shows Russian soldiers tossing a pair of what appear to be a TM-62Ps (which have a red-orange Bakelite case). Two days later another drone video showed [better quality version] a Russian soldier run up to a building and throw a TM-62 through a ground floor window, he runs clear but the mine detonates just three seconds later. It’s unclear from the video when he initiated the fuze, likely before approaching the building. The charge effectively collapses the corner of the two storey structure’s outer wall.
Russia telegram channel WarGonzo shared another video on 5 July, reportedly filmed in Niu-York, Ukraine, showing a member of the 9th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigade using a TM-62 to destroy a building which was said to have been occupied by Ukrainian troops. The Russian soldier can be seen pulling a pin on what may be a grenade fuze just before throwing the mine through a window. The mine detonates just three seconds later completely destroying the small building.
Another spectacular video was shared on around 7 July, showing two Russian soldiers deploying a pair of TM-62s against a large building, the location of which isn’t stated. They are seen approaching the building, pulling fuze pins and tossing the mines in. As they turn and run the mines detonate just three seconds later demolishing the building.
While in most of these videos the men deploying the mines appear to get clear they do beg the age old question of whether some of the soldiers deploying the mines are inevitably ‘hoist by their own petards’ – the etymology of that phrase being a reference the the dangerous business of 16th century sappers being killed or injured while deploying Petards, a historic equivalent to a modern demolition or satchel charge.
It’s clear from the available imagery that both Russia and Ukraine have utilised TM-62s as ad-hoc satchel or demolition charges since at least early 2023 (and likely earlier). It’s unclear how widespread of a practice the use of the mines is but it is clearly highly effective and while it puts the user deploying the mine at significant risk it appears an effective way of clearing enemy positions if the charge can be delivered successfully.
Update – 30/09/24: Footage of what may be an assault demolition, of an apartment block in Toretsk, using TM-62s.
Update – 21/10/24: A member of Ukraine’s Russian Volunteer Corps employs a TM-62 satchel charge during fighting in Vovchansk.
Update – 5/12/24:
Omega Team, an SOF unit with Ukraine’s National Guard, employ multiple TM-62s during a hit and run raid on a Russian strong point in an apartment block.
Update – 12/12/24:
An recent video of Ukrainian combatants using multiple TM-62 (or similar) anti-armour mines (минированию) as satchel charges in Toretsk was shared. The video shows half a dozen charges comprised of a pair of mines taped together with a delay fuze. These charges are thrown into the ground floor of a damaged building.
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The Armourers Bench 