Russia released a video of the UR-77 mine-clearing vehicle firing to clear the way for the infantry to attack the defensive positions of Ukrainian forces.

Russian military television today published a video of the UR-77 Meteorit self-propelled minesweeping vehicle belonging to the Central Military District participating in a battle on the defensive positions of Ukraine. The exact time and place of the battle were not announced by Russia.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the Ukrainian army’s defensive position in the forest was detected by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and transferred the coordinates to ground forces. The Russian commanders decided to deploy the UR-77 system to clear the jungle, paving the way for infantry to attack enemy defensive posts.

The UR-77 battery approached the target area and launched two series of dynamite, creating large explosions to destroy landmines in the forest, leaving the door open for infantry to approach the target. The pressure from the explosions also severely damaged the  Ukraine ‘s battlefield.

The UR-77 was developed by the Soviet Union to replace the UR-67 minesweeper, based on the 2S1 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery chassis and put into service in 1978.

The vehicle is equipped with a launcher and two clusters of detonators. The dynamite is pulled by the rocket to a minefield or target area within 500 m, and then activated and pressurized to detonate the mines or blow them away. Each explosive wire can clear mines in an area 90 m long, 6 m wide, enough to increase armored vehicles and motor vehicles through.

The destructive power of mine-clearing lines makes the UR-77 system also used to attack fortified targets in fortifications or urban areas. The Russian and Syrian forces have used this tactic to attack the position of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) militants.