Ukraine's ingenious use of drones turns battlefield tides

Drones, collectively referred to as "Baba Yaga", capable of carrying up to 20 kilograms of payload, have become essential on the Ukrainian battlefield. Aside from mortar shells, the Ukrainians now deploy bombs such as thermobaric grenades and incendiary, guided missiles, and, recently, drones equipped with firearms.

The photo below shows modified TM-62 anti-tank mines with an added tail section and stabilizers to ensure steady flight. This highly dangerous bomb contains about 7 kilograms of TNT, capable of destroying a BMP-1/2 infantry fighting vehicle or a BTR-82A armoured personnel carrier without difficulty.

The bombing raids are especially effective at night when a variant of the "Baba Yaga" drone, known as the "Vampire", flying at an altitude of several hundred feet, is not visible. It is equipped with a thermal imaging camera to see everything happening on the ground.

TM-62 mines are a straightforward design from the Soviet era, containing about 7 kilograms of TNT inside a steel casing with a diameter of approximately 32 centimetres and a height of 9 centimetres, detonated by an MWCz-62 pressure fuse. This requires pressure from approximately 200 to 500 kilograms, depending on the year of production.

These mines were mass-produced, and both Ukrainians and Russians have deployed millions along the front line. They are classic mines intended for placement by soldiers, but in the age of the modern battlefield, where the "fog of war" essentially does not exist (with drones surveilling the area 24/7), the only viable solution 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, adding a section with stabilizers was necessary. As a result, soldiers found a way to effectively use outdated mines.