In the 2014 Russia-Ukraine War, Human Rights Watch documented widespread Russian antipersonnel and anti-vehicle mine use after the February 2022 full-scale invasion and separately reported apparent Ukrainian rocket-delivered PFM-series mine use around Izium.
Role detailsInfantry Weapons
Landmine
Also known as
- mine
- anti-personnel mine
- antipersonnel mine
- anti-vehicle mine
- anti-tank mine
- improvised mine
- scatterable mine
- remote mine
Landmines are ground-emplaced explosive munitions triggered by a person's or vehicle's presence, proximity, or contact, with battlefield roles ranging from route denial and obstacle protection to remote minefield laying. This class page covers conventional anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines, scatterable mines, directional fragmentation mines, and improvised victim-activated mines where sources directly document conflict use.
Role in Conflicts
In the 2023 Israel-Hamas War, RUSI described Hamas laying mines along roads in Gaza, with some devices surface-laid and easier to detect or remove than buried mines; Mine Action Review later reported continued landmine incidents in Gaza.
Role details
In the 2014 Yemen Civil War, Human Rights Watch reported Houthi forces' widespread landmine use along Yemen's western coast since mid-2017, including antipersonnel mines and indiscriminate anti-vehicle mine use that harmed civilians and restricted aid access.
Role details- Role in conflict
- Tripoli mine and booby-trap emplacement
In the Libyan Civil War, Human Rights Watch and Landmine Monitor documented landmines, improvised explosive devices, and booby traps left around Tripoli after Hiftar-aligned forces and Russian mercenaries withdrew in 2020.
- Role in conflict
- Roadside mine emplacement
In the 1984 Kurdish-Turkish Conflict, Turkish defense-ministry reporting said security forces defused DM-11 anti-personnel landmines that the PKK had planted on a roadside in Sirnak province in 2020.
- Side
- Rebel and jihadist armed groups
- Role in conflict
- Improvised anti-vehicle mine attacks
In the 2012 Mali War, mine-action reporting describes improvised anti-vehicle mines planted by JNIM and other armed groups against MINUSMA peacekeepers, Malian forces, and civilians, especially in central and northern regions.
- Side
- Cambodia
- Role in conflict
- Disputed border mine incidents
During the 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Conflict, landmine blasts injured Thai soldiers along the border; Thailand accused Cambodia of laying new mines, while Cambodia denied new emplacement and attributed the danger to old uncleared mines.
In the 2001 War in Afghanistan, UNAMA and Landmine Monitor reporting treated Taliban and other armed-group pressure-plate IEDs as victim-activated improvised anti-personnel mines used during the insurgency.
Role detailsProfile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- Multiple countries
- Built by
- Various manufacturers
- Built in
- Multiple
- Type
- Explosive ground mine
- Service note
- Modern and legacy use
- Designer
- Multiple state arsenals and non-state bomb makers
- Designed
- Varies by model
- Produced
- Varies by conventional, scatterable, and improvised mine type
Specifications
- Placement
- Designed to be placed under, on, or near the ground or another surface area
- Initiation
- Detonated by presence, proximity, contact, or command action depending on mine type and fuzing
- Effects
- Blast, fragmentation, mobility kill, injury, or route denial depending on design and target
- Common categories
- Anti-personnel, anti-vehicle, directional fragmentation, scatterable, surface-laid, and improvised mines
- Delivery methods
- Hand emplacement, vehicle or dispenser laying, rocket or artillery scattering, aircraft delivery, and improvised placement are all documented in public sources
Mine Types And Employment
The landmine category is broad, so the most useful distinction is usually target, initiation, and delivery method rather than a single manufacturer.
| Type | How it functions | Documented catalog context |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-personnel | Victim-activated mines triggered by a person's presence, proximity, or contact. | The treaty definition shapes how monitors classify conventional mines and victim-activated improvised mines. |
| Anti-vehicle | Designed for vehicles or armor; battlefield records often call them anti-tank mines. | Ukraine reporting distinguishes anti-vehicle mines from antipersonnel mines while documenting both in current use. |
| Surface-laid | Placed on or near the surface rather than deeply buried. |  |
| Scatterable or remotely delivered | Dispersed by rockets, aircraft, vehicles, or other delivery systems instead of individual hand emplacement. | Linked examples include    |
| Improvised | Victim-activated improvised explosive devices that function as mines. | Afghanistan and Mali rows use mine-action reporting where pressure-plate IEDs or improvised anti-vehicle mines are treated as mine warfare. |
Sources: UN Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention; The Impact of Improvised Mines; Landmine Use in Ukraine; RUSI Tactical Lessons from IDF Operations in Gaza, 2023.
Variants
This class page groups mine types by target, initiation, and delivery method; linked rows point to cataloged examples or narrower mine-family pages.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| Surface or near-surface obstacle mine | RUSI and Mine Action Review describe surface-laid mine use in Gaza, making the linked record a narrower placement-focused page. Sources: RUSI Tactical Lessons from IDF Operations in Gaza, 2023, Mine Action Review Palestine 2025 |
 | Directional fragmentation antipersonnel mine | Human Rights Watch lists MON-series mines among Russian antipersonnel mines documented in Ukraine. Sources: Landmine Use in Ukraine |
| Scatterable antipersonnel fragmentation mine | Human Rights Watch documented POM-2 mines and KPOM-2 dispensers recovered in Ukraine during the full-scale war. |
| Scatterable antipersonnel blast mine | Human Rights Watch reported PFM-series mine use around Izium and tied the mines to 9M27K3 Uragan rocket delivery. |
| Scatterable anti-vehicle mine | Human Rights Watch documented PTM-1/PTM-1G remotely delivered anti-vehicle mines in Kharkiv and Donetsk regions. |
Remote Mine Delivery Munitions
Several cataloged rockets are not mines themselves, but their source-backed role is to scatter mine payloads at range.
| Compatible item | Item type | Compatibility evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | 220 mm anti-tank mine cargo rocket | Armament Research Services lists the 9M27K2 Uragan cargo rocket as carrying 24 PTM-series anti-tank mines for remote minefield laying. |
 | 220 mm anti-personnel mine cargo rocket | Armament Research Services identifies the 9M27K3 as the Uragan cargo rocket carrying 312 PFM anti-personnel mines. |
 | 300 mm anti-tank mine cargo rocket | Rosoboronexport lists the 9M55K4 Smerch rocket as a remote anti-tank minefield round carrying 25 anti-tank mines. |
Timeline
Landmine Key Events
Mine Ban Convention adopted
The Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention established the core treaty definition used to distinguish victim-activated anti-personnel mines from other mine and command-detonated systems.
Sources: UN Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention
HRW reports Houthi mine use along Yemen's western coast
Human Rights Watch reported that Houthi forces had used landmines widely along Yemen's western coast since mid-2017, harming civilians and blocking aid access.
Sources: Yemen: Houthi Landmines Kill Civilians, Block Aid
Full-scale Ukraine invasion brings large-scale mine contamination
Human Rights Watch surveyed antipersonnel and anti-vehicle mines used in Ukraine after Russia's full-scale invasion began, including Russian mine use and apparent Ukrainian PFM-series mine use.
Sources: Landmine Use in Ukraine, Background Briefing on Landmine Use in Ukraine
RUSI describes road-laid mines in Gaza
RUSI described Hamas laying mines along roads in Gaza and noted that some surface-laid mines were easier to detect and remove than buried devices.
Sources: RUSI Tactical Lessons from IDF Operations in Gaza, 2023
Mine Action Review reports Gaza mine incidents
Mine Action Review's Palestine review again described mine use in Gaza, including surface-laid mine context and a reported Gaza City landmine attack.
Sources: Mine Action Review Palestine 2025
Related Weapon Systems
Sources
UN Anti-Personnel Mine Ban ConventionPublisher: United Nations | Note: Supports the general landmine definition, including placement under, on, or near the ground and detonation by presence, proximity, or contact. | Accessed: 2026-06-29The Impact of Improvised MinesPublisher: Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor | Note: Supports improvised mine definitions and background on victim-activated IEDs that function as anti-personnel mines. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Landmine Use in UkrainePublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: 2014 Russia-Ukraine War: directly documents landmines used in Ukraine after the February 24, 2022 full-scale invasion, including Russian antipersonnel mine use and both Russian and Ukrainian anti-vehicle mine use. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Background Briefing on Landmine Use in UkrainePublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: 2014 Russia-Ukraine War: directly documents POM-2, PTM-1/PTM-1G, and other mines recovered or reported in Ukraine, including remote delivery by rocket systems. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Ukraine: Banned Landmines Harm CiviliansPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: 2014 Russia-Ukraine War: directly supports apparent Ukrainian PFM-series antipersonnel mine use around Russian-occupied Izium in 2022. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Ukraine Mine Ban PolicyPublisher: Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor | Note: 2014 Russia-Ukraine War: supports mine-ban policy context and summarizes reported mine use in Ukraine, including PFM-series mine allegations. | Accessed: 2026-06-29RUSI Tactical Lessons from IDF Operations in Gaza, 2023Publisher: Royal United Services Institute | Note: 2023 Israel-Hamas War: directly supports Hamas mine use along roads in Gaza and the surface-laid mine distinction used for the linked narrower record. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Mine Action Review Palestine 2025Publisher: Mine Action Review | Note: 2023 Israel-Hamas War: directly supports Gaza mine-use context, including surface-laid mine reporting and a reported landmine attack in Gaza City. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Yemen: Houthi Landmines Kill Civilians, Block AidPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War: directly supports Houthi landmine use along Yemen's western coast since mid-2017, including antipersonnel mines and indiscriminate anti-vehicle mine use. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Yemen Mine Ban PolicyPublisher: Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor | Note: 2014 Yemen Civil War: supports mine-ban and conflict-use context for landmine use in Yemen. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Libya: Landmines, Other War Hazards, Killing CiviliansPublisher: Human Rights Watch | Note: 2014 Second Libyan Civil War: directly supports landmine and booby-trap contamination around Tripoli after Hiftar-aligned forces withdrew in 2020. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Libya Mine Ban PolicyPublisher: Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor | Note: 2014 Second Libyan Civil War: directly supports mine-use context around Tripoli, including Russian mercenary-linked landmine reporting. | Accessed: 2026-06-299M27K Series Cargo Rockets Used in UkrainePublisher: Armament Research Services | Note: Supports background and relationship context for 9M27K2 and 9M27K3 Uragan cargo rockets carrying mine payloads. | Accessed: 2026-06-299M55K4 Catalog Page | RosoboronexportPublisher: Rosoboronexport | Note: Supports background and relationship context for the 9M55K4 Smerch rocket as a remote anti-tank minefield delivery round. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Turkish Forces Defuse PKK Landmines in SoutheastPublisher: Anadolu Agency | Note: 1984 Kurdish-Turkish Conflict: landmines used by the PKK were reported by Turkey's defense ministry as planted on a roadside in Sirnak province and defused by Turkish security forces. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Clearing the Mines 2023: MaliPublisher: Mine Action Review | Note: 2012 Mali War: improvised anti-vehicle mines used by JNIM and other armed groups were planted against MINUSMA peacekeepers, Malian forces, and civilians. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Thailand Again Accuses Cambodia of Planting Land MinesPublisher: Associated Press | Note: 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Conflict: landmines used along the disputed border injured Thai soldiers; Thailand accused Cambodia of laying new mines, while Cambodia denied the allegation. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Thailand Threatens to Suspend Truce After Land Mine BlastPublisher: Associated Press | Note: 2025 Thailand-Cambodia Border Conflict: landmines used along the border injured Thai troops and became part of the ceasefire terms for removing heavy weapons and land mines. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Landmine Monitor 2022: AfghanistanPublisher: Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor | Note: 2001 War in Afghanistan: improvised mines used by armed groups were documented as pressure-plate IEDs functioning as anti-personnel landmines in Afghanistan. | Accessed: 2026-06-29UNAMA Third Quarter Report 2020Publisher: United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan | Note: 2001 War in Afghanistan: directly documents Taliban pressure-plate IED use in 2020 and casualties from devices that functioned in Afghanistan as anti-personnel landmines. | Accessed: 2026-07-05Afghanistan Impact ProfilePublisher: Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor | Note: Supports background on Afghanistan mine and improvised-mine contamination from the government-Taliban conflict and other armed groups. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Wikimedia Anti-Personnel Mine PhotoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a CC BY-SA 4.0 anti-personnel mine photo in Cambodia. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Wikimedia M18 Claymore PhotoPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a public-domain U.S. Army M18 Claymore photo. | Accessed: 2026-06-29Wikimedia TM-38 Landmine IllustrationPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Image provenance and licensing page for a public-domain U.S. Government TM-38 landmine illustration. | Accessed: 2026-06-29