The OZM-72 is a Soviet-designed bounding antipersonnel fragmentation mine that ejects upward before detonation and scatters fragments around the burst point. Human Rights Watch and Landmine Monitor reporting document the mine in modern clearance and conflict-use cases in Ukraine, Yemen, Syria, Libya, and Nagorno-Karabakh, making it a persistent explosive-ordnance hazard rather than only a Cold War stockpile item.
Human Rights Watch documented OZM-72 bounding fragmentation mines among antipersonnel mines used by Russian forces in Ukraine, including examples identified by Ukrainian deminers and explosive-ordnance responders after Russian forces withdrew from parts of Sumy and Zaporizhzhia.
Role detailsHuman Rights Watch reported that YEMAC cleared six OZM-72 antipersonnel mines from Bab al-Mandab district in Taizz on September 6, 2016, in coverage of Houthi-Saleh landmine use during the 2014 Yemen Civil War.
Role detailsHuman Rights Watch reported that clearance teams in Kafr Nabl, Idlib, found OZM-72 antipersonnel mines in an area where the Syrian army had placed mines during the 2011 Syrian Civil War.
Role detailsLandmine Monitor reported that Wagner-linked forces supporting the Libyan Arab Armed Forces used Russian-made OZM-72 antipersonnel mines around Tripoli during the 2019-2020 phase of the Libyan Civil War.
HALO Trust and Al Jazeera reporting documented OZM-72 mines in Nagorno-Karabakh legacy minefields from the 1988-1994 war, while Landmine Monitor identified OZM-72 mines among Nagorno-Karabakh antipersonnel mine stockpiles.
OZM-72 references usually describe fuze or initiation configurations rather than separate production marks.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| OZM-72 with MUV-series tripwire fuzes | Victim-activated tripwire configuration | Field handbooks describe OZM-72 use with tripwire-style fuzing, matching its bounding antipersonnel role. Sources: Soviet OZM-72 Anti-Personnel Mine |
| OZM-72 with electric or command initiation | Controlled or remotely initiated configuration | Technical references list electric and command-initiation options alongside victim-activated fuzes. Sources: Soviet OZM-72 Anti-Personnel Mine |
Fenix Insight METIS identifies the OZM-72 as a Soviet-era bounding antipersonnel mine adopted in 1972.
Human Rights Watch reported that Yemeni mine-clearance teams removed six OZM-72 mines from Bab al-Mandab district in Taizz.
Landmine Monitor later reported OZM-72 use by Wagner-linked forces supporting the Libyan Arab Armed Forces during the 2019-2020 Tripoli campaign.
Human Rights Watch listed OZM-72 mines among antipersonnel mines used by Russian forces in Ukraine.
Human Rights Watch reporting on Syrian landmine harm identified OZM-72 mines found by clearance teams in Kafr Nabl, Idlib.
The OZM-72 is most useful to field forces as an area-denial mine because the munition bursts above ground level instead of detonating only at the casing. That same configuration makes it a recurring clearance problem in places where minefields remain after front lines move.
| Feature | Catalog context | Operational effect |
|---|---|---|
| Bounding burst | Technical references list a 0.6-0.9 m burst height and a fragmentation payload around the mine body. | The detonation is intended to project fragments through a wider standing-personnel danger area than a simple blast mine. |
| Tripwire or controlled initiation | OZM-72 references describe MUV-style tripwire use as well as electrical or command-initiation options. | The same mine can appear in victim-activated obstacles, guarded positions, or controlled defensive minefields. |
| Post-battle clearance | Human Rights Watch reporting in Ukraine, Yemen, and Syria identifies OZM-72 mines during demining or explosive-ordnance response work. | The mine remains a civilian and deminer hazard after units withdraw, front lines shift, or abandoned positions are reopened. |
Sources: Soviet OZM-72 Anti-Personnel Mine; Background Briefing on Landmine Use in Ukraine; Yemen: Houthi-Saleh Forces Using Landmines; Syria: Landmines, Explosive Remnants Harming Civilians.
