Russian troops use ISDM Zemledeliye mine-laying systems in Ukraine
MOSCOW, April 4. /TASS-DEFENSE/. Russian armed forces have purportedly used advanced Zemledeliye mine-laying systems during the special operation in Ukraine, Jane’s analytical and information agency reported with reference to a video circulating on social media: “Video circulating on social media since 27 March shows two vehicles launch a full salvo of 50 mine-loaded rockets each, the footage was purportedly taken in Kharkiv Oblast,” the article reads.
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The New ISDM Zemledeliye minelaying system launcher was unveiled at the Victory Day military parade in June 2020. (Picture source: Vitaly Kuzmin)
According to Jane’s experts, this is the combat debut of the Zemledeliye engineer system for remote mining, which was specifically developed for the Russian Armed Forces’ Engineer Troops within the R&D ‘Zemeldeliye-I’ framework by the Splav Enterprise.
The contract for the delivery of such systems was signed between the Defense Ministry and Splav Enterprise in December 2013. NPO Splav is a prominent developer and manufacturer of multiple launch rocket systems.
About the Zemledeliye system
The Zemledeliye system was first unveiled during the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory in the 1941-1945 Great Patriotic War against Nazi Germany. A preliminary batch is thought to have been delivered to the Engineer Troops earlier in the same year.
The system comprises a launch vehicle with 50 122 mm rockets that are loaded with scatterable anti-personnel or anti-tank mines, and a transloader vehicle fitted with a reloading crane on its rear. Both the launcher and transloader are integrated on the KamAZ-6560 8×8 truck and feature an armored cabin. The rockets are preloaded into canisters and held within a rack, each holding 25 in total. A single vehicle carries two such racks.
The launcher is fitted with communications, fire control, self-defense, and meteorological sensor systems. Six smoke grenade launchers — three facing either side — form a part of the self-defense system.
The ISDM Zemledeliye is based on a KamAZ 6560 8x8 chassis (Picture source: Russian MoD)