Munitions

9M27K3 anti-personnel mine rocket

Also known as
  • 9M27K3
  • 9M27K-3
  • 9M27K3 Uragan
  • RS 9M27K3

The 9M27K3 is a Soviet-origin 220 mm Uragan cargo rocket that disperses 312 PFM anti-personnel mines for remote minefield laying. Human Rights Watch tied the round to apparent Ukrainian PFM-series mine use around Izium during the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, making it more than a launcher-component entry.

9M27K3 anti-personnel mine rocket, 220 mm Uragan cargo rocket for anti-personnel mines, Munitions
Image source: Rocket from BM-27 Uragan in Babai, Kharkiv Oblast (1).jpg

Role in Conflicts

Payload And Evidence Notes

The 9M27K3 is a cargo rocket rather than a unitary high-explosive round: its documented payload is 312 PFM anti-personnel mines, giving a 220 mm Uragan launcher a remote-mining role at standoff range.

Evidence laneWhat it supportsReader caveat
Technical referencesARES and Missilery identify the 9M27K3 payload, caliber, range class, weight, and Uragan launcher family.These are general weapon facts, not conflict-use attribution by themselves.
Ukraine-war documentationHuman Rights Watch and the Landmine Monitor connect 9M27K3 rockets carrying PFM-series mines to apparent Ukrainian use around Izium in 2022.The conflict row is limited to that documented Izium use and does not attribute every PFM mine found in Ukraine to this rocket.
Media provenanceThe page images are Wikimedia Commons photos of BM-27 Uragan rocket remnants in Babai, Kharkiv Oblast.The images provide visual Uragan-rocket context, not independent proof of every 9M27K3 claim.
Profile / Specs

Specifications

Caliber
220 mm
Payload
312 PFM anti-personnel mines
Warhead class
Cargo rocket for anti-personnel mine scattering
Range
About 10-35 km
Weight
About 270 kg
Length
About 5.18 m
Launcher family
9K57/BM-27 Uragan-compatible 220 mm launchers
Mine coverage
Designed for remote minefield laying and area denial
Variants

The 9M27K3 sits inside the 220 mm Uragan cargo-rocket family, alongside fragmentation and anti-tank mine variants that use the same launcher class for different payloads.

VariantConfigurationDesignation notes
9M27K1 cargo rocket, 220 mm Uragan cluster cargo rocket carrying 30 9N235 submunitions, Munitions9M27K1 cargo rocketFragmentation-submunition cargo rocket

ARES lists the 9M27K1 as a 220 mm Uragan cargo rocket with 30 9N235 fragmentation submunitions.

Sources: 9M27K series cargo rockets used in Ukraine

9M27K2 anti-tank mine rocket, 220 mm Uragan remote mine-laying cargo rocket carrying PTM-1G anti-vehicle mines, Munitions9M27K2 anti-tank mine rocketAnti-tank mine cargo rocket

ARES lists the 9M27K2 as the Uragan cargo rocket carrying 24 PTM-1 anti-tank mines.

Sources: 9M27K series cargo rockets used in Ukraine

Mine Payload

The 9M27K3 is the Uragan cargo round tied to PFM-series anti-personnel mine delivery.

Carried itemItem typeCarriage evidence
PFM-1, Scatterable anti-personnel blast mine, Infantry WeaponsPFM-1Scatterable anti-personnel mine

Missilery and ARES identify the 9M27K3 payload as 312 PFM anti-personnel mines, while HRW documents PFM-series mine remnants from apparent 9M27K3 rocket delivery around Izium.

Sources: Rocket projectile 9M27K3, 9M27K series cargo rockets used in Ukraine, Ukraine: Banned Landmines Harm Civilians

Why the payload matters

The rocket's tactical effect comes from quickly distributing many victim-activated mines across an area rather than from a unitary blast warhead.

Sources: Ukraine: Banned Landmines Harm Civilians, Rocket projectile 9M27K3

Launch Platforms

The 9M27K3 is one of the Uragan-family mine-scattering rockets that can be fired from compatible 220 mm launchers.

Firing weaponWeapon typeFiring evidence
Bureviy, 220 mm self-propelled multiple launch rocket system, ArtilleryBureviy220 mm multiple rocket launcher

Defense Express says Bureviy can fire current Uragan and Typhoon 2 rockets, and Missilery identifies 9M27K3 as the Uragan anti-personnel mine rocket.

Sources: Ukraine develops new Bureviy heavy rocket artillery system, Rocket projectile 9M27K3

BM-27 Uragan, 220 mm self-propelled multiple launch rocket system, ArtilleryBM-27 UraganSelf-propelled multiple launch rocket system

Army Recognition lists the 9M27K3 as one of the BM-27's five unguided 220 mm rocket types.

Sources: BM-27 9P140 Uragan 9K57 MLRS

Timeline

9M27K3 anti-personnel mine rocket Key Events

  1. Uragan family enters service

    The BM-27/9K57 Uragan launcher family entered Soviet service in the 1970s and uses 220 mm rockets, including mine-scattering cargo rounds.

  2. ARES documents 9M27K-series remnants in Ukraine

    Armament Research Services reported 9M27K-series Uragan cargo-rocket remnants in Ukraine and summarized 9M27K3 technical characteristics from Splav data.

  3. HRW reports apparent 9M27K3 use around Izium

    Human Rights Watch said 9M27K3 rockets carrying PFM-series mines were apparently fired into Russian-occupied areas around Izium in 2022.

Media

9M27K3 anti-personnel mine rocket Images

9M27K3 anti-personnel mine rocket, 220 mm Uragan cargo rocket for anti-personnel mines, Munitions - view 1
Source: Rocket from BM-27 Uragan in Babai, Kharkiv Oblast (2).jpg
Related Weapon Systems
9M27K1 cargo rocket, 220 mm Uragan cluster cargo rocket carrying 30 9N235 submunitions, MunitionsMunitions9M27K1 cargo rocket220 mm Uragan cluster cargo rocket carrying 30 9N235 submunitionsThe 9M27K1 is a Soviet/Russian 220 mm Uragan cargo rocket designed for the BM-27 9K57 launcher family. Technical and humanitarian-monitoring sources identify it as the Uragan round that carries 30 9N235 high-explosive fragmentation submunitions over a 10 to 35 km envelope, with Ukraine-war reporting often grouping it with the closely related 9M27K because their remnants can be difficult to separate without markings.
BM-27 Uragan, 220 mm self-propelled multiple launch rocket system, ArtilleryArtilleryBM-27 Uragan220 mm self-propelled multiple launch rocket systemThe BM-27 Uragan is the Soviet 9K57 220 mm multiple launch rocket system, built around the 16-tube 9P140 launcher and 9T452 transporter-loader on ZIL-135LM-family wheeled chassis. Its rocket family gives heavier payloads than BM-21 Grad-class systems, including high-explosive fragmentation, cluster, incendiary, fuel-air explosive, and mine-scattering rounds. Documented use spans Russia-Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Nagorno-Karabakh, and the 2008 Russo-Georgian War, with the system still relevant through Ukrainian overhaul work and Bureviy modernization.
9M27F HE-fragmentation rocket, 220 mm Uragan artillery rocket with unitary HE-fragmentation warhead, MunitionsMunitions9M27F HE-fragmentation rocket220 mm Uragan artillery rocket with unitary HE-fragmentation warheadThe 9M27F is the standard Soviet 220 mm high-explosive fragmentation rocket in the Uragan family, produced by Splav and fired by BM-27-class launchers for area attacks against manpower, vehicles, command posts, communications nodes, and fixed targets. Technical references identify it as an unguided 280 kg round with a 9N128F unitary warhead, while Ukrainian local military-administration reports document Russian 9M27F strikes on Kostiantynivka during the Russia-Ukraine War.

Sources

9M27K series cargo rockets used in UkrainePublisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Supports the 9M27K3's 220 mm Uragan-family cargo-rocket role, its mine-scattering payload, range, weight, and the article's reference to Splav technical specifications. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Ukraine: Banned Landmines Harm CiviliansPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: Directly supports the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War note that 9M27K3 Uragan rockets carrying PFM-series anti-personnel mines were apparently used by Ukrainian forces around Russian-occupied Izium in 2022. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Ukraine Mine Ban PolicyPublisher: Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor | Note: Directly supports the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War note by summarizing HRW's finding that 9M27K3 Uragan rockets carrying PFM-series anti-personnel mines were fired into Russian-occupied areas near Izium in 2022. | Accessed: 2026-06-29BM-27 9P140 Uragan 9K57 MLRSPublisher: Army Recognition | Note: Supports the BM-27 launcher-family context and identifies 9M27K3 as one of the five unguided rockets fired by the BM-27. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Rocket projectile 9M27K3Publisher: Missilery.info | Note: Supports the 9M27K3 designation, its 220 mm Uragan family context, and the 312 PFM anti-personnel mine payload. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Ukraine develops new Bureviy heavy rocket artillery systemPublisher: Defense Express | Note: Supports Bureviy compatibility with current Uragan and Typhoon 2 rockets, including cluster rounds with anti-personnel mines. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Rocket from BM-27 Uragan in Babai, Kharkiv Oblast (1).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and CC BY 4.0 licensing for the primary rocket photo used on this page. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Rocket from BM-27 Uragan in Babai, Kharkiv Oblast (2).jpgPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Gallery image provenance and CC BY 4.0 licensing for a second rocket photo used on this page. | Accessed: 2026-06-29