UKR: Increasing risk of plastic mines on battlefield

Presented by FTI Consulting

BLUF: Plastic mines are becoming increasingly widespread, in part because they can be produced using 3D printing. Lighter than metal mines, they can sink into the soil over time, though they’re significantly harder to detect. 

The small amount or absence of metal makes them virtually impossible to detect using usual metal detectors, creating a need for sensors that can respond to the composition of the explosive.

The State Service for Export Control prepared a draft law to further align Ukraine's export regulations with EU norms.

Mykhailo Fedorov, the new Defense Minister of Ukraine, has appointed Serhii Sternenko and Serhii ‘Flash’ Beskrestnov as his advisors.

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Ukraine is facing a massive landmine problem that will have consequences long after the end of the war. 

As of June 2025, over 139,000 square kilometers of land were mined, almost a quarter of the country’s total area. Ukraine is also considered the world's most heavily mined country.

While traditional metal mines can be relatively effectively detected using conventional metal detectors, plastic mines or mines with minimal metal content are increasingly being used—and they come with major challenges. 

Due to their design, they are much more difficult to detect with standard equipment complicating sappers' work and significantly slowing clearance.

In Ukraine, several domestic manufacturers produce metal detectors. For example, Minelab produces various detectors, including the Minelab MF5 and Minelab F3б handheld mine detectors. The MoD has introduced the Trembita detector, capable of detecting mines even underwater and identifying common types of Russian anti-personnel and anti-tank mines under complex conditions. 

Drone-based systems are also becoming more common for mine detection, adding a new layer of remote sensing to traditional methods.

Plastic mines first appeared in Europe in the 1960s, when a shortage of metal prompted manufacturers to seek alternative materials, a representative of the company Ukrainian Tactical Products (UTP) explained, asking not to disclose his name for security reasons. 

Plastic allowed for the production of lighter mines with smooth, adaptable shapes, which are better suited for anti-personnel use and automated manufacturing, he told The Arsenal.

“At the beginning of the war, most mines were still metal‑made, but today plastic mines make up the majority of all mines — anti‑vehicle, anti‑tank, and anti‑personnel,” Serhii Burkovskiy, a demining specialist, told The Arsenal.

About 90 percent of all mines are antipersonnel ones, which are small, the UTP representative said. Unlike anti-vehicle mines, which can be 30 centimeters or more, they typically measure between 5 and 10 centimeters, making them significantly harder to detect during demining operations.

For example, in the widely used PFM‑1 ‘petal’ mine, the plastic casing weighs 66 grams in total and makes up about 40 percent of the mine’s weight. The remaining parts consist of the liquid explosive itself, while the metal element weighs about 10 grams — roughly one‑tenth of the total weight, he added.

Modern plastic mines are mostly produced using 3D printing. This is the fastest method and is used in around 90 percent of cases.

Another method is milling and CNC machining, especially for cylindrical or rectangular types of ammunition. There is also injection molding technology, but it is currently not popular in Ukraine due to its high cost and long production process, the UTP representative said.

Plastic mines are often located under vegetation or deeper in the soil. As a result, sappers have to manually check every square centimeter of the area, Burkovskiy said. The main search depth ranges from 15 to 25 centimeters. Since mines can shift due to rain or soil movement even after they are initially laid, the work becomes even more complicated. 

Effective demining, therefore, requires precise technical surveying of the area and careful collection of information from local residents who lived under occupation.

One of the key problems with plastic PFM‑1 mines is the lack of a self‑destruction mechanism, said Victor Shapovalov, CEO of the startup Zmiyar, which produces advanced military hardware. 

As a result, the main method of neutralization is mechanical impact — grinding the soil with specialized machines or using ground robotic systems designed to withstand the detonation of small charges.

In Ukraine, such approaches are already being implemented. One example is the domestically developed Zmiy by Rover Tech, a company specializing in ground robotic systems. It’s a robotic demining system, a ground-based platform capable of clearing fields of both fragmentation and high-explosive ordnance.

Animals with a strong sense of smell can also be effective in detecting such mines, Shapovalov told The Arsenal. This includes not only dogs, but also pigs or rats.

Another defense technology concept for demining involves drones equipped with thermal cameras. The principle is based on the fact that after being heated by the sun, mines and surrounding soil cool down at different rates, which can briefly become visible in the thermal spectrum. 

This approach allows surface-laid mines to be detected—primarily metal ones, though under favorable conditions, plastic mines may also be visible, explained Oleg Vinogradov, the founder and CEO of NGO Life Without Mines.

However, the use of this technology is highly limited. It is effective only for about 20–30 minutes after sunset, is strongly dependent on weather conditions, and cannot detect mines buried in the ground.

Life Without Mines, a Ukrainian team developing a drone-based mine detection system, is currently working on a portable Dream Sensor system that can be mounted on a drone. 

It uses gamma-irradiation to analyze a given area for the responses of chemical elements characteristic of explosive substances. Since the sensor reacts not to metal but to the composition of the explosive, this technology enables the detection of plastic mines with minimal metal content.

The sensor can measure the percentage composition of key chemical elements. By analyzing these proportions, it can accurately identify the type of explosive, allowing sappers to determine both what is buried and its exact location with an accuracy of up to two centimeters. 

This capability is critical before deploying heavy demining machinery, as such equipment can cost tens of thousands of dollars and may be severely damaged or destroyed if anti-vehicle mines remain in the field.

Life Without Mines is currently seeking external funding to advance the project, Vinogradov told The Arsenal.

While the developers have previously secured several grants, those funds were limited in scope and could not cover critical R&D costs. To proceed to the next development stage, the team says it needs around $300,000 to finalize the sensor and move toward a fully operational prototype. 

Ukraine’s State Service for Export Control has prepared a draft law on the international transfer of strategic goods and is finalizing compliance with EU export norms. 

The draft has been almost fully approved, with sign-off still needed from only one ministry. It will then be submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers and the Verkhovna Rada for final approval.

The legislation will enable Ukrainian defense and high-tech firms to integrate into Western supply chains. Furthermore, this alignment is a mandatory step for EU accession.

"This law will synchronize our legislation on export control with European legislation, in particular with Regulation 821 [EU regulation on export controls for dual-use items], in terms of terminology and certain procedural issues. We are now bringing our system as close as possible to the European one," said Oleg Tsilvik, acting head of the SSEC.

EU expectations for Ukraine in this regard include:

Ukrainian defense tech companies will soon be eligible to apply for funding through the accelerator of the European Innovation Council (EIC), a program under Horizon Europe that supports start-ups and SMEs. 

Technically, dual-use innovations can already apply – he main criteria for a product are that it be breakthrough, high-risk, and deep tech. Military-first innovations will be able to apply for the EIC as soon as this Spring. 

“With the upcoming amendment to the EIC Work Program 2026, the program will open to companies developing dual-use applications. A specific provision for Ukraine will also allow Ukrainian companies developing defense applications to apply to the Accelerator,” Head of EIC Department Stéphane Ouaki told The Arsenal. 

What’s available: 

The funds are available on the principle of ‘patient capital,’ meaning they’re intended for developing and scaling up innovations with the potential to disrupt markets and that require funding over a long period before returns are expected.

The selection process comprises three consecutive steps: writing a short proposal, submitting a full proposal, and a face-to-face interview with the EIC Jury. 

Bravo Dynamics, a Ukrainian startup that builds tactical mesh communication systems for ground missions in challenging environments, received a $125,000 investment from United Angels Network (UAN), a Ukrainian defense-focused venture platform. These systems ensure reliable, self-adapting communication for ground missions even in areas with disrupted infrastructure or electronic warfare.

The investment will be used primarily to strengthen and scale existing products, improve reliability, and support further development based on real user feedback, Yaroslava Dmytrasevych, CEO at UAN, told The Arsenal. 

Part of the funding will also go toward continued R&D and product iteration, aligned with evolving operational requirements, she added. The investment was finalized a week ago. 

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By: Oksana Zabolotna

Digitalization of the State Defense Quality Assurance System

Order of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine №6-2557 dated December 12, 2025

Why it’s important: The creation of a single digital system for state defense quality assurance addresses the problem of fragmented data and complex manual procedures that slow down quality control in defense procurement. 

The system makes it possible to view the entire process — from submitting a request to receiving the results — within one digital environment. 

This increases the transparency and clarity of procedures, reduces the risk of abuse, and simplifies interaction between state customers and contractors. At the same time, the digital format brings Ukrainian practice closer to the approaches used by NATO countries and strengthens trust in the defense quality assurance system.

Proposals:

Stage: Entered into force on December 12, 2025.  

Initiator: The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. 

What’s next: Implementation of the order. 

LifesaverSIM is a game-based simulator for Tactical Combat Casualty Care that transforms complex medical protocols into engaging gameplay. It builds procedural memory, decision-making skills, and confidence needed to perform under pressure.

The platform tracks trainees' performance, providing commanders with clear readiness insights based on objective data. It runs on a soldier’s mobile device and requires no additional hardware, making it cost-effective and easily scalable.

“Battle-tested in full-scale war, LifesaverSIM is the standard training tool of top Ukrainian units, empowering rapid skill acquisition without interrupting operational readiness. We are seeking partners to deploy in NATO countries and investment for extending the platform with deep-tech and AI capabilities,” says Yuriy Dyachyshyn, LifesaverSIM CEO & Co-founder.