Profile
- Type
- Directional fragmentation anti-personnel mine
- Conflict side
- Russia
- Origin
- Soviet Union / Russia
- Service note
- Cold War design documented in Russia-Ukraine War mine contamination
Infantry Weapons
MON-90
The MON-90 is a Soviet-designed directional fragmentation anti-personnel mine, broadly comparable in role to a large Claymore-type munition. It uses a plastic, curved body and a heavy explosive charge to project steel fragments across a fixed arc, and open-source mine-action reporting identifies it among the antipersonnel mines contaminating Ukrainian territory during the Russia-Ukraine War.
- Conflict side
- Russia
- Built in
- Soviet UnionBulgaria
Service History
- In service
- Soviet and Russian service; documented in Ukraine mine-action reporting
- Used by
- Russian forces
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designer
- Soviet defense industry
- Designed
- Cold War period
- Built in
- Soviet UnionBulgaria
- Produced
- Cold War and later production
- Variants
- MON-series directional fragmentation mines
Specifications
- Weight
- 12.1 kg
- Explosive fill
- 6.2 kg RDX/PVV-5A
- Fragments
- About 2,000 steel fragments
- Effective fragmentation range
- About 90 m in a directional arc
- Dimensions
- Approximately 345 mm long, 153 mm wide, and 202 mm high
- Initiation
- Command initiation or tripwire/booby-trap switches depending on fuze setup
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: Russia
Documented among antipersonnel mines used by Russian forces after the February 2022 invasion, with Ukrainian deminers and explosive-ordnance references reporting MON-series and MON-90 hazards in retaken areas.
Related Weapon Systems
MON-100Directional anti-personnel fragmentation mineThe MON-100 is a Soviet/Russian directional anti-personnel fragmentation mine, a larger member of the MON family intended to project steel fragments across a 100-meter danger area. In the Russia-Ukraine War it appears in mine-action reporting as one of the MON-series mines used by Russian forces, adding to the hand-emplaced and tripwire or command-initiated explosive hazards facing Ukrainian deminers and civilians.
MON-50Directional fragmentation antipersonnel mineThe MON-50 is a Soviet directional fragmentation antipersonnel mine broadly comparable in role to the M18 Claymore, with a plastic body, folding legs, and a forward fragmentation pattern. It can be command-detonated or configured with tripwire and other fuzing, making it a compact infantry obstacle and ambush munition. In the Russia-Ukraine War, monitoring groups identify MON-50 mines among Russian-used hand-emplaced antipersonnel mines, adding to the dense explosive contamination faced by Ukrainian deminers and civilians.
PFM-1Scatterable anti-personnel blast mineThe PFM-1 is a Soviet scatterable anti-personnel blast mine with a plastic winged body and a small liquid-explosive charge, designed for remote delivery rather than hand emplacement. In the Russia-Ukraine War it has been documented in PFM-series rocket-scattered mine contamination around Izium, where Human Rights Watch linked the mines to 220 mm Uragan mine-laying rockets and civilian casualties.
PMN-1/2/4Antipersonnel blast mine familyThe PMN-1/2/4 family covers Soviet and Russian pressure-activated antipersonnel blast mines used to deny foot movement and injure personnel at close range. PMN-1 and PMN-2 are Soviet designs, while PMN-4 is a later Russian circular plastic-cased mine; all three are relevant to mine-contamination reporting in and around Ukraine, where PMN-2 and PMN-4 examples have been documented during the Russia-Ukraine War.
POM-2Scatterable antipersonnel fragmentation mineThe POM-2 is a Soviet/Russian scatterable antipersonnel fragmentation mine that deploys tripwire sensors after delivery by rockets, helicopters, aircraft, vehicles, or specialized dispensers. In Ukraine, it appears as part of Russia's remotely delivered mine threat, including documented POM-2 mines and KPOM-2 canisters recovered in areas cleared by Ukrainian emergency services.
TM-72Shaped-charge anti-tank mineThe TM-72 is a Soviet metal-cased anti-tank mine built around a shaped-charge effect and magnetic-influence fuzing, rather than a simple pressure blast. In Ukraine it is documented less often than common TM-62-series mines, but open reporting in 2026 described both limited battlefield use and Russian efforts to employ TM-72 mines in contested urban approaches.Sources
MON-90 Russian Anti-Personnel MinePublisher: U.S. Army ODIN Worldwide Equipment Guide | Note: Supports the system identification as a Soviet/Russian Claymore-shaped directional anti-personnel mine. | Accessed: 2026-06-20MON-90 LandminePublisher: CAT-UXO | Note: Supports dimensions, explosive weight, fragmentation role, and the note that the mine has also been made in Bulgaria. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Landmine Use in UkrainePublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Directly supports Russia-Ukraine War context by listing MON-90 among antipersonnel landmines used in Ukraine since February 24, 2022. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Explosive Ordnance Guide for Ukraine, Third EditionPublisher: Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining | Note: Supports MON-90 technical details and Russia-Ukraine War conflict-use context, including reports of MON-90 mines with anti-handling arrangements in Ukraine. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Tyumen Higher Military Command School of Engineering 07Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance for a MON-90 installation photo credited to Mil.ru and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Disposal of MON-90 Anti-Personnel MinePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Directly supports Russia-Ukraine War conflict-use context by documenting disposal of a MON-90 found in Irpin after Russian occupation. | Accessed: 2026-06-20