3D printers offer Ukraine a lifeline in anti-personnel mine crisis
Ukrainians and Russians, facing a shortage of weaponry, are improvising with makeshift field substitutes. For Ukrainians, anti-personnel mines have become an essential element of defense. Here’s how they create cost-effective substitutes using 3D printers.
Since the onset of the war, Ukrainians have been actively utilizing their ample stock of anti-tank mines, which are effective against Russian armored and mechanized units. Unfortunately, over time, Russians adapted their strategies to deploy large numbers of infantry, a tactic sometimes referred to as "meat assaults."
This creates challenges as small Russian assault groups can stealthily approach Ukrainian positions at night or use conditions such as fog to their advantage. The situation parallels that of North Korean soldiers who often disregard their casualties.
In these situations, surrounding fortifications with anti-personnel mines would be ideal. However, Ukraine signed the Ottawa Treaty on February 24, 1999, and ratified it on December 27, 2005, which prohibits the use of such mines and requires existing stocks to be destroyed.
Anti-personnel mines — a key weapon Ukraine regrets disposing of
Russia did not join the treaty, which is why anti-personnel mines remain in Ukraine. Recently, the Americans allowed some anti-personnel mines to be transferred to Ukraine, but this falls short of meeting the demand. Therefore, Ukrainians have developed their own versions of PFM-1 "Butterfly" mines, distributed by drones and nicknamed "Gingerbread."
In the video below, a Russian disassembles such a mine, which features a 3D-printed casing, approximately 30 grams of explosive material, and a simple detonator using a primer and a screw. The screw is connected to a thinner lid, which breaks when stepped on, causing the screw to strike the primer and trigger the explosion.
Ukrainians either produce the mine casings themselves or receive them from volunteer groups, such as the national branches of the Wild Bees group. These groups conduct fundraising to finance the purchase of materials needed to produce various components using 3D printers for Ukraine's Armed Forces.
