Sent in December, lost in March – the Russian mine-laying MRL was ‘killed’
KYIV, UKRAINE — In December, Russia sent its latest mine-laying rocket system. In March, Russia already lost it. Munitions dropped from a drone have destroyed a rare Russian mine-laying platform. During the same attack, the Armed Forces of Ukraine [AFU] destroyed a Russian autonomous Transporter, Launcher, And Radar unit, or TLAR. TLAR is used by the TOR-2 anti-aircraft system.
A video of the destruction of the mine-laying MRL is now circulating on the web. This system is known by its name ISDM Zemledeliye. The video has been circulating since March 3rd. This is not the first deployment of ISDM Zemledeliye. At the end of March last year, almost immediately after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, sources circulated videos of the deployment of this system in Ukraine.
On December 11, a new message arrived from sources about the deployment of another ISDM system. The sources claimed that the system was deployed near the city of Zaporizhia, on the Dnieper River in southeastern Ukraine. Sources claim that the one destroyed in March 2023 was the first ISDM Zemledeliye. However, this is not true. Already in the middle of last year, information appeared that the systems shipped in March 2022 had been destroyed.
More on the Russian mine-laying MRL
The system fires anti-personnel mines. They are a scattering-type with limited fragmentation. They are also known as self-destructing. This type of mine is known for its high explosiveness.
The main idea of the system is to disperse a large number of mines over a large area of the battlefield by volley fire. These mines are called POM-3 Medallion or POM-3 for short. As already mentioned, mines are self-destructing. Self-destruct can be set to occur from 8 to 24 hours.
The launch capsules of the mines are located in a container. The container is carried by a Russian KamAZ 6560 8×8 wheeled heavy-duty chassis. It is important to note that the entire system is remote. This allows for an automated mission execution process, as well as automatically setting self-destruct parameters.
The mine-laying MRL in the Russian Army
There is no specific information since when ISDM Zemledeliye is in service with the Russian army. It is assumed, according to various sources, that this has been for two or three years. The reason for such an assumption is the contract between the Russian Ministry and the manufacturer.
The manufacturer of the system is Splav Enterprise. The contract for the development and production of the mining system was signed nearly ten years ago. Assuming the time for development, testing, debugging, and entering mass production, the period of two to three years matches the assumptions of the sources.
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 21 February 2022, Russia claimed that Ukrainian shelling had destroyed an FSB border facility. Russia claimed that it had killed 5 Ukrainian soldiers. They tried to cross into Russian territory. Ukraine denied being involved in both incidents and called them a false flag.
On the same day, the Russian government formally recognized the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR. According to Putin not only in their de-facto controlled areas, but the Ukrainian Oblasts as a whole. Putin ordered Russian troops, including tanks, to enter the regions.
On 24 February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine by Russian Armed Forces previously concentrated along the border. The invasion followed by targeted airstrikes of military buildings in the country, as well as tanks entering via the Belarus border.
Russia has so far not recognized the invasion of Ukraine as a “war”, although that is exactly what it is, claiming that it is a “special military operation”. According to the UN, a “special military operation” can only take place after a UN resolution. There is no such resolution. So this is an invasion and war against Ukraine.
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