Ukraine's strategic blow: RAAM mines halt Russian advance

Ukraine has effectively utilized the Polish Krab howitzer in tandem with RAAM ammunition, showcasing a remote mining strategy that halted a moving column of Russian vehicles.

The targets, hit by one or more Krabs operated by the Ukrainian 40th Artillery Brigade, included a Russian tank and an infantry fighting vehicle, halting the attack they were part of. Videos shared by Ukraine depict how a drone spotted the Russian column before it was struck with RAAM ammunition.

RAAM (Remote Anti-Armor Mine) projectiles, developed in the late 1970s, are fired by 155 mm artillery systems like the AHS Krab, PzH 2000, FH77BW Archer, or the M777 howitzer. Each projectile houses nine anti-tank mines. There is also an anti-personnel version known as ADAM - Artillery Delivered Antipersonnel Mine.

Ukraine has obtained at least 10,200 M718 or M741 projectiles from the United States. Similar to cluster munitions in operation, these charges, once dispersed over a target area, do not detonate immediately. Instead, they lay a minefield that activates upon detecting the magnetic signature of nearby vehicles.

This method enables the remote mining of areas up to nearly 11 miles away. The RAAM projectile mines have a self-destructive feature that activates after a maximum of 48 hours, mitigating civilian risks.

Each mine weighs around 5 pounds, with roughly half of that weight comprising the explosive charge. Although this might not be enough to eradicate a tank, it can disable the tracks or damage the drive system, leaving the vehicle immobile.

When used alongside modern surveillance tools such as drones, this approach permits the rapid and remote creation of minefields directly in the path of enemy vehicles. As the Ukrainian footage demonstrates, this technology can effectively stop an adversary's advance before their forces reach one's lines.