Profile
- Type
- Shaped-charge anti-tank mine
- Origin
- Soviet Union
- Service note
- Cold War Soviet design, still encountered in the Russia-Ukraine War
Infantry Weapons
TM-72
The 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.
- Built in
- Soviet UnionRussian Federation
Service History
- In service
- Soviet-era mine still reported in use or stockpiles during the Russia-Ukraine War
- Used by
- Russian forces, Ukrainian forces
- Wars
- Russia-Ukraine War
Production History
- Designed
- In service documentation by 1974
- Built in
- Soviet UnionRussian Federation
Specifications
- Mine type
- Anti-vehicle / anti-tank shaped-charge mine
- Body
- Circular sheet-metal body
- Diameter
- 250 mm
- Height
- 80-82 mm
- Weight
- About 6 kg
- Main charge
- About 2.5 kg explosive charge
- Fuzing
- Typically MVN-72 or MVN-80 magnetic-influence fuze
- Effect
- Shaped-charge / explosively formed penetrator effect against vehicle undersides or tracks
Conflict Usage
- Russia-Ukraine War
- Side: RussiaUkraine
Documented in the Russia-Ukraine War as a comparatively rare Soviet anti-tank mine; Terrogence reported limited use by both sides, while Ukrinform reported Russian engineer units receiving TM-72 mines for manual and drone-assisted mining around Huliaipole in January 2026.
Related Weapon Systems
TM-62Anti-tank blast mineThe TM-62 is a Soviet family of circular anti-tank blast mines built around a central fuze and a large high-explosive charge. The metal-cased TM-62M and plastic-cased TM-62P3 variants are documented in the Russia-Ukraine War, where both sides have used anti-vehicle mines extensively to block routes, defend positions, and contaminate farmland and approaches.
9K111 FagotMan-portable anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9K111 Fagot, known to NATO as the AT-4 Spigot, is a Soviet man-portable SACLOS wire-guided anti-tank missile system built around the 9P135 tripod launcher and 9M111 missile family. Its compact launcher, vehicle-mount compatibility, and 2 to 2.5 km range kept it relevant for legacy users, including Russian anti-tank teams documented in the Russia-Ukraine War.
9K115 MetisMan-portable anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9K115 Metis is a Soviet/Russian man-portable, wire-guided anti-tank guided missile family developed for company-level infantry anti-armor fire. The original AT-7 Saxhorn system emphasized a light launcher and short-range portability, while the later 9K115-2 Metis-M and Metis-M1 variants use larger 130 mm missiles, tandem HEAT or thermobaric warheads, and ranges up to 2 km. In the Russia-Ukraine War, Russian forces have been documented using the upgraded AT-13 Saxhorn-2 / Metis-M variant against Ukrainian armor.
9M113 KonkursSACLOS wire-guided anti-tank guided missileThe 9M113 Konkurs, NATO reporting name AT-5 Spandrel, is a Soviet wire-guided anti-tank guided missile family built for infantry launchers and vehicle mounts such as BMP-series vehicles and the BRDM-2-based 9P148. Its SACLOS guidance, 135 mm missile body, and 4 km class engagement range kept it useful after the Cold War, including documented employment in the Russia-Ukraine War by Ukrainian-aligned forces and Russian units.
9M133 KornetLaser beam-riding anti-tank guided missile systemThe 9M133 Kornet is a Russian heavy anti-tank guided missile system using laser beam-riding guidance and tandem HEAT or thermobaric warheads. Developed by KBP as a portable and vehicle-integrated ATGM family, it appears in the Russia-Ukraine War as a Russian-origin system documented with pro-Russian forces and also captured by Ukrainian troops.
BGM-71 TOWHeavy anti-tank guided missileThe BGM-71 TOW is a U.S. heavy anti-tank guided missile built around tube launch, optical tracking, and command guidance through a wire or later radio-frequency link. Developed by Hughes and now produced and upgraded by Raytheon, it can be fired from dismounted launchers, HMMWVs, Bradley and Stryker vehicles, light armored vehicles, and helicopters, giving infantry and vehicle crews a long-range precision anti-armor weapon. In the Russia-Ukraine War, U.S. security assistance packages sent TOW missiles to Ukraine as part of the anti-armor mix used to offset Russian armored forces.Sources
TM-72 LandminePublisher: CAT-UXO | Note: Supports mine type, dimensions, explosive weight, body material, and fuze/effect details. | Accessed: 2026-06-20TM-72Publisher: METIS by Fenix Insight | Note: Supports Soviet-era background, countries of manufacture, metal-cased anti-tank shaped-charge description, and general munition context. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Anti-Tank Mine TM-72 and Mine Fuse MVN-72, 1974Publisher: Internet Archive | Note: Archived Russian Ministry of Defence manual metadata for the TM-72 mine and MVN-72 magnetic-influence fuze. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Mobius Report 1/2026: TM-72 AT Mines with Standard Magnetic Fuzes, UkrainePublisher: Terrogence | Note: Directly supports Russia-Ukraine War use context, including reported limited use by both sides and rarity relative to other magnetic-fuze anti-tank mines. | Accessed: 2026-06-20Russian Forces Cannot Capture Huliaipole and Are Trying to Mine It, Voloshyn SaysPublisher: Ukrinform | Note: Directly supports Russia-Ukraine War context for Russian engineer units receiving TM-72 mines for mining roads, streets, and yards around Huliaipole. | Accessed: 2026-06-20TM-72 Mine Displayed in Donetsk, 2011Publisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing source; photograph by Andrew Butko, available under CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL 1.3. | Accessed: 2026-06-20