Infantry Weapons

MON-series anti-personnel mine

The MON series is a Soviet/Russian family of directional fragmentation anti-personnel mines, including MON-50, MON-90, MON-100, and MON-200 patterns that project preformed fragments across a defined sector. In the Nagorno-Karabakh context, direct postwar reporting identifies MON-50 finds rather than every family member, so this entry records the series cautiously as MON-family mine warfare evidence tied to Armenian/Artsakh defensive mining and later clearance.

Nagorno-Karabakh ConflictArmenia / Artsakh

Conflict side: ArmeniaArtsakh
Built by: Soviet state arsenals; Russian and post-Soviet producers
Built in: Soviet UnionRussia

MON-series anti-personnel mine, Directional fragmentation anti-personnel mine family, Infantry Weapons

Profile

Type: Directional fragmentation anti-personnel mine family
Conflict side: ArmeniaArtsakh
Origin: Soviet Union / Russia
Service note: Cold War design family in continued post-Soviet service

mine warfare portable

Service History

In service: Cold War to present in Soviet, Russian, and post-Soviet stocks
Used by: Armenian / Artsakh forces
Wars: Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Production History

Designer: Soviet ordnance designers
Designed: 1960s family, with later MON-90 and MON-200 variants
Built by: Soviet state arsenals; Russian and post-Soviet producers
Built in: Soviet UnionRussia
Produced: 1960s onward
Variants: MON-50, MON-90, MON-100, MON-200

Specifications

Mine type: Directional fragmentation anti-personnel mine; can be command detonated or victim activated by tripwire/breakwire depending on fuze configuration
Family range class: Model numbers broadly indicate intended fragment range, from 50 m for MON-50 to 200 m for MON-200
MON-50 fragments: About 540 ball bearings or 485 chopped steel rods projected horizontally
MON-100 fragments: About 400 chopped steel rods projected horizontally
MON-100 explosive charge: Approximately 2 kg TNT in a circular metal-bodied mine
Typical tactical use: Mounted above ground on legs, stakes, trees, or field fixtures to cover paths, approaches, and obstacles with a directional fragment fan

Conflict Usage

Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict: Side: ArmeniaArtsakhRole: Defensive obstacle and booby-trap miningmine warfare
MON-family directional mines are represented in the Nagorno-Karabakh record through postwar MON-50 finds: ANAMA reported an Armenian-made MON-50 neutralized in Khojavand district, while Landmine Monitor cautions that Armenian-supported separatist and Armenian state mine use is difficult to distinguish.

MON-series anti-personnel mine Images

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MON-series anti-personnel mine, Directional fragmentation anti-personnel mine family, Infantry Weapons - view 4

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Sources

Landmine Monitor 2025Publisher: Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor | Note: Supports MON-family background and specifications, including MON model range numbering and MON-50/MON-100 fragment loads. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Landmine Monitor 2022Publisher: Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor | Note: Supports Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict context: mines were reported used by Armenian forces in 2020-2021, while attribution between Armenian-supported separatist forces and Armenian state forces could not be distinguished. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 ANAMA MON-50 Khojavand ReportPublisher: Caliber.Az | Note: Supports Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict direct use: ANAMA reported an Armenian-made MON-50 used by or fielded by Armenian forces and neutralized in Khojavand district. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Azerbaijan UN Letter on MinesPublisher: AZERTAC | Note: Supports Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict context: Azerbaijan's UN letter said mines were installed by Armenian forces in returned areas and identified MON-50 among Armenian-produced anti-personnel mines displayed by Hayk-Meg. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Commons MON-50 Display ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for an inert MON-50 photographed by Martin Olsson under reusable Commons licensing. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Commons MON-50 ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a MON-50 photograph by Johan Fredriksson under reusable Commons licensing. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Commons MON-100 ORDATA ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a public-domain MON-100 image sourced from the U.S. Government ORDATA database. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Commons MON-90 Training ImagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports image provenance for a MON-90 installation training image licensed on Commons as CC BY 4.0 with Mil.ru attribution. | Accessed: 2026-06-20