The POMZ-2 is a Soviet stake-mounted antipersonnel fragmentation mine built around a serrated cast-iron body, TNT charge, and pull-fuze tripwire. Its simple above-ground layout made the mine a persistent legacy hazard: cataloged use now spans Soviet mine warfare in Afghanistan, Vietnamese forces in the 1955 Vietnam War, Nagorno-Karabakh stockpiles and defensive minefields, and a limited 2011 Syrian Civil War indication tied to Syrian government forces.
Nagorno-Karabakh authorities reported that Soviet-leftover antipersonnel mine stocks included POMZ-2 mines and acknowledged defensive antipersonnel mine use along the line of contact with Azerbaijan; available sources do not identify a specific 2020 emplacement of this exact mine type.
A declassified CIA assessment of Soviet mine warfare in Afghanistan identifies POMZ-2 as a tripwire antipersonnel mine encountered by Afghan resistance forces, tying the model to Soviet and Afghan-government mine obstacles during the war.
The Australian War Memorial describes the POMZ-2 as used by Vietnamese forces during the 1955 Vietnam War; the museum entry does not identify a specific unit, battlefield, or emplacement date.
Landmine Monitor's Syria reporting cites a 2019 image circulated by a pro-government social-media source that appeared to show a Syrian Army soldier emplacing a stake-mounted POMZ-2 antipersonnel mine, a limited but direct indication of 2011 Syrian Civil War use.
Role detailsPOMZ-2 is a simple victim-activated obstacle mine: the munition is normally staked above ground, connected to a tripwire, and intended to throw cast-iron fragments when the pull fuze initiates the TNT charge.
| Feature | Cataloged detail | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Body and stake | Serrated cast-iron sleeve mounted on a wooden stake. | The above-ground body gives the mine a fragmentation role rather than a buried blast-mine profile. |
| Initiation | Normally connected to an MUV-type pull fuze and tripwire. | The tripwire is the target sensor, so the mine is tied to footpaths, defensive belts, and other likely movement routes. |
| Main charge | Roughly 75-76 g of TNT in the mine body. | The small charge is paired with the cast-iron sleeve to generate antipersonnel fragments. |
| Limitations | Requires manual emplacement and above-ground setup. | It is visually distinctive and mechanically simple, but legacy stocks remain dangerous when left in fields, tree lines, and defensive positions. |
Sources: POMZ-2 Ordnance Profile; POMZ-2 Mine Profile; CAT-UXO POMZ-2 Landmine.
POMZ records normally describe a Soviet stake-mine family rather than a single factory line; public ordnance references distinguish the earlier POMZ from the POMZ-2 and improved POMZ-2M forms.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| POMZ | Earlier stake-mounted fragmentation mine | References treat POMZ as the predecessor family member before the POMZ-2/POMZ-2M designations. Sources: POMZ-2 Ordnance Profile |
| POMZ-2M | Improved POMZ-2 family variant | U.S. Army ODIN and specialist ordnance references identify POMZ-2M as the later Russian/Soviet antipersonnel mine variant within the same stake-mine family. Sources: ODIN POMZ-2M Mine, POMZ-2 Ordnance Profile |
Museum and ordnance references place POMZ-family stake fragmentation mines in Soviet service from the Second World War period, with later POMZ-2 and POMZ-2M variants remaining in Cold War and post-Soviet stocks.
Sources: POMZ-2 Anti Personnel Mine, POMZ-2 Ordnance Profile
The Australian War Memorial records POMZ-2 use by Vietnamese forces during the 1955 Vietnam War, showing the mine's export and battlefield spread beyond Soviet service.
Sources: POMZ-2 Anti Personnel Mine
A declassified CIA assessment of Soviet mine warfare in Afghanistan includes POMZ-2 among tripwire mines faced by Afghan resistance forces during the Soviet intervention.
Sources: CIA Soviet Mine Warfare in Afghanistan
Landmine Monitor reports an image circulated by a pro-government social-media source that appeared to show a Syrian Army soldier emplacing a stake-mounted POMZ-2 antipersonnel mine.
Sources: Syria Mine Ban Policy
