Ukraine has developed the Pidryv electromagnetic mine trawl, designed to counter mines equipped with magnetic fuzes. The system generates a controlled magnetic field in front of the vehicle at a distance of up to 7 meters.
About 30–40% of mines used in remote mining are equipped with a magnetic initiator. Unlike a conventional pressure-activated mine, such a munition does not require direct contact with a wheel or track — its fuze reacts to changes in the magnetic field as a vehicle approaches. This was reported by Militarnyi, citing the Ukrainian system manufacturer.
The Pidryv is designed to trigger a mine before the vehicle physically reaches it. If the magnetic fuze is activated, the explosion occurs in front of the vehicle rather than directly underneath it. The system operates while the vehicle is moving, so the vehicle does not need to stop to activate the mine.
The Pidryv has been tested on armored vehicles, unmanned ground vehicles and a mine-clearing machine. The system has already been transferred to three Ukrainian Armed Forces brigades for combat use and has been codified within the NATO system.
Electromagnetic systems designed to counter mines with magnetic fuzes were developed in the Soviet Union as well. In the early 1970s, Soviet engineers began developing the “Payshchik” electromagnetic attachment for track-type mine trawls, which was adopted into service in 1985.
The Payshchik was an additional electromagnetic system for existing track-type mine trawls. Two electromagnets mounted on the trawl frame generated a magnetic field that triggered a mine approximately 4–6 meters ahead of the tank.
