US boosts Ukraine's defenses with anti-personnel mines
Landmines are highly effective in Ukraine for slowing down or redirecting enemy attacks. Recently, the United States decided to provide Ukraine with anti-personnel mines.
Until now, Ukraine has been utilizing anti-tank mines but has lacked anti-personnel mines. This is particularly problematic on the front lines, where Russian forces have a numerical advantage and attack using infantry. These types of attacks, called "human wave attacks," are designed to provoke Ukrainian defenses, allowing guided bombs to be dropped on them.
In such situations, anti-personnel mines would be extremely beneficial beyond cluster munitions and area coverage. Unfortunately, in hindsight, Ukraine's decision to sign the Ottawa Treaty on February 24, 1999, and ratify it on December 27, 2005, might be a misstep.
The treaty prohibits the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of anti-personnel mines and mandates the destruction of existing stocks. While the treaty's intentions are commendable, the harsh reality shows that Ukraine could enhance its defense capabilities against Russian forces without these restrictions.
It's important to note that countries like Russia, China, and the USA, which have significant stocks of simple anti-personnel mines from the Cold War era, have not ratified the Ottawa Treaty. Now, the United States plans to transfer some of its stockpiles to Ukraine, which will significantly strengthen its defense, similar to the situation with cluster munitions, which are banned in many countries.
Simple anti-personnel mines
The Ottawa Treaty banned the use of most anti-personnel mines. This includes simple pressure-triggered mines widely used since World Wars I and II and motion sensor mines. This category also includes scatterable mines used in artillery or rocket projectiles. The exception is mines that can be remotely detonated, e.g., by radio signal.
The United States last used anti-personnel mines on a large scale in 1991 during the Gulf War, aside from limited use in Afghanistan in 2002. In 2022, Stan Brown, serving as the principal deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, mentioned in a discussion that the USA possesses exactly 3 million anti-personnel mines. These are intended solely for use on the Korean Peninsula.
Among the simplest anti-personnel mines are the M14 and M16, designed in the 1950s. The M14 is a cylindrical, hard-to-detect plastic mine. The only metal component is a pin that detonates about 1 oz of explosive material. Its pressure trigger activates with just 25 to 30 pounds of pressure.
The M16 is practically a replica of the German WWII S-mine, capable of affecting an entire squad, not just the individual who triggers it. The M16 is a 7.7-pound mine in a metallic casing containing 16 oz of explosive material. It is equipped with a pressure trigger sensitive to 8 to 20 pounds or a tripwire that can be attached to a nearby tree. Upon activation, the mine is propelled upward and detonates above ground, dispersing shrapnel over a 98-foot area.
These mines require manual placement, but it is expected that Ukrainians will use drones or remotely controlled vehicles for deployment, similar to their use of TM62 anti-tank mines.
Scatterable mines — deployable by artillery
Scatterable mines like the Area-Denial Artillery Munition (ADAM) will be much more advantageous for Ukrainians. These are used in special 155 mm artillery shells containing 36 wedge-shaped mines. The shell is designed to explode in the air, releasing the mines over a target area.
Upon landing, the mines shoot out three or four 20-foot wires that embed into surfaces. These wires act as triggers, and pulling them with a force of 2 to 3 pounds causes the mine to explode. Each mine contains 0.7 oz of explosive material designed to rise 2 to 8 feet before exploding, with an effective range of 20 to 33 feet. The mines have a self-destruct mechanism that activates 48 hours after deployment.
The effective range of ADAM shells for artillery systems with a 39-caliber barrel is around 12 miles, and for new systems with a 52-caliber barrel, it could be slightly greater.
It's significant to note that a large supply of anti-personnel mines may prove more beneficial for Ukrainians than a few dozen MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles. The ability to mine approaches to trenches near Pokrovsk or the Kursk region could substantially reduce the effectiveness of Russian "human wave attacks."
