Ukraine's drones repurpose old mines for deadly precision attacks

Drones, collectively referred to as "Baba Yaga", capable of carrying up to 44 pounds of payload, have become an indispensable element on the Ukrainian battlefield. In the form of bombs, the Ukrainians no longer only use mortar shells. They now also employ thermobaric grenades, incendiary devices, guided missiles, and, more recently, drones equipped with firearms.

The photo below shows modified TM-62 anti-tank mines with an added tail section and stabilizers to ensure a stable flight. This is a very dangerous bomb containing 15 pounds of TNT, capable of blowing up a BMP-1/2 infantry fighting vehicle or a BTR-82A armored personnel carrier without any trouble.

The bombing raids are particularly effective at night, when a variant of the "Baba Yaga" drone, known as the "Vampire", flies at several hundred feet, remaining invisible. Meanwhile, equipped with a thermal imaging camera, it can see everything happening on the ground.

TM-62 mines are a very simple design from the Soviet era, containing 15 pounds of TNT inside a steel casing with a diameter of 12.6 inches and a height of 3.5 inches. They are detonated by an MWCz-62 pressure fuse, which requires pressure ranging from 441 pounds to 1,102 pounds, depending on the year of production.

These mines were produced on a mass scale, and both Ukrainians and Russians have positioned millions along the front line. They are classic mines intended for soldiers to place. However, in the age of the modern battlefield—where the "fog of war" essentially does not exist due to drones surveilling the area 24/7—the only viable method turned out to be remote-controlled rovers.

To use them as bombs, it was necessary to modify the fuse to an impact fuse, which requires less force for activation. Additionally, to ensure decent accuracy, a section with stabilizers was added. As a result, soldiers found a way to use outdated mines effectively.