Since the early spring of 2022, the key Ukrainian city of Rubizhne has
been holding out against Russian attackers using many weapons in
unconventional ways, one of which is the UR-77 self-propelled mine-clearing Meteorit.
The weapon is also popularly known as the "Zmey Gorynych,” Russian for
serpent, because of the unique appearance of its firing shaft.
The unit consists of a base-tracked vehicle, a launcher, and a combat kit. Together, the machine
clears the territory by creating a powerful shock wave that affects the mine detonators.
The Russians announced the use of the UR-77 in Ukraine for the first time in March of 2022.
During the battle for Rubizhne, one such vehicle launched a devastating projectile
right into the urban landscape, with a 295-foot-long explosive
charge that was seen in footage shared by news outlets all around the globe…
The Mick Lick
While mine-clearing vehicles have been used in warfare since the 1910s, it wasn't until
World War 2 that such a specialized branch of motorized devices saw its peak use.
During the global conflict, the motorized vehicle was commonly
attached to an infantry unit as a way to clear a path before it,
helping the group reach its objectives while dodging enemy minefields in their way.
Several countries further developed the concept in
the postwar era and throughout the beginning of the Cold War.
One such vehicle built by the Soviets during the decades-long conflict was the UR-77 Meteorit,
which was inspired by the British Giant Viper.
As was usually the case with Soviet designs,
there are conflicting reports about the start of the project's development,
as well as the bureau in charge, but it is estimated to be in the late 1970s.
The UR-77 mine-clearing and battlefield breaching vehicle was based on the 2S1 Gvozdika, a Soviet
self-propelled howitzer that was famous for its participation in many conflicts such
as the Soviet-Afghan War, the Iran-Iraq War, the Russo-Georgian War, and others.
Moreover, both vehicles share the same drivetrain, engine, and welded armored hull.
However, one significant difference is that the turret ring was replaced by a
hydraulically elevated launcher holding two missile carriers. There is also ample space
in which both explosive hoses are folded down, leading to its nickname, the Snake.
The crew of the UR-77 Meteorit mine-clearing vehicle, also known as MicLic by the Americans,
is limited to just two positions: the driver,
who also doubles as a mechanic, and the commander operator.
The Ground Meteorite
The UR-77 Meteorit, or Meteorite, is an amphibious vehicle capable of traversing
calm waters at 2.5 miles per hour and has a total weight of 34,200 pounds,
more than a thousand pounds lighter than the vehicle it is based on.
With its powerpack located in the front-right of the hull,
the 300-horsepower V8 diesel engine allows a maximum road speed of 37 miles per hour.
In addition, the vehicle is armed with a launcher and two mine-clearing line charges.
As a rocket is fired, it pulls the explosive line
charges over a minefield, where they are detonated.
Upon hitting its mark, the Meteorite's line charge causes a large shock wave 20 feet wide and 295
feet tall that destroys, disables, or displaces many types of shells and mines along the area.
The vehicle's primary role during an offensive operation is to keep the momentum of the armored
and mechanized forces without having to worry about stepping over a landmine.
The UR-77 is operated from under armor protection, with steel armor covering
the crew from small arms fire and shell splinters. And although it is intended
to serve near minefields, the Meteorite does not feature protection against mines.
Moreover, as a lightly armored vehicle,
other mechanized forces and artillery are required to provide cover from enemy attacks.
Double Operation
After being used for some time in the Soviet Army,
the existing UR-77 Meteorites were taken by the newly established Russian Army in 1992.
The vehicle was initially intended to be operated near the front battle lines and
was not purpose-built to participate directly in combat. However, this changed when its destructive
value was noticed by ground commanders; with an outstanding blast radius of over 300 feet
long by 20 feet wide, the Meteorite proved to be as much of a weapon as a counter to one.
In fact, an explosion caused by the UR-77 is powerful enough to blow out an entire city street.
The first known use of the Meteorite as a combat weapon was during the Second Chechen War in 1999
when the Russian Armed Forces launched line charges in the village of Komsomolskoye.
As the Moscow Defense Brief, an English language defense magazine, noted in a story of the Russian
weapons used in Chechnya: [QUOTE] "The weight of a charge exceeds one ton and the power of
the explosion is such that houses in Komsomolskoye were simply wiped off from the face of the earth."
Even so, there were some downsides to using such a volatile weapon,
as the Russian efforts in the front would sometimes backfire. At one point during the
conflict, there were 28 Russian Special Forces friendly fire incidents involving the UR-77.
In addition to the first and second Chechen wars,
the UR-77 Meteorite vehicle has also been used in the Syrian Civil War and the most
important Russian battle of the 21st century as of today: the war in Ukraine.
Modern Warfare
Noticing the vehicle's more considerable potential as a weapon, the Russians have
effectively abandoned its mine-clearing use in the ongoing conflict in Donbas, Eastern Ukraine.
During the invasion of the European nation, the Meteorite has been extensively used as
an offensive weapon, where its line charges have been used to wipe out entire city blocks.
In the battle for the city of Rubizhne, Ukrainian fighters used the local college
campus as a hold-out fighting position when the rather ordinary-looking UR-77
Meteorite vehicle launched a projectile into the center of an already devastated urban landscape.
However, the attack on the college building wasn't
the only known offensive use of the weaponized vehicle in Ukraine.
It was also employed when Russian troops tried to take Donetsk International Airport in Mariupol.
Additionally, Meteorite explosions have been dropped on Ukrainian defensive lines
to neutralize anti-tank guided missile squads threatening Russian tanks.
According to estimates, the Russian Army has
lost 22 UR-77 vehicles since the start of the invasion in 2014.
By 2022, the Ukrainian Army had managed to capture at least 15 vehicles either through
force or abandonment by their Russian crews, and only five were destroyed.
The Future
In addition to the Russian Armed Forces,
the UR-77 Meteorite has also been used by the Azerbaijani, Syrian, and Moldovan Armies.
To this day, the UR-77 is the only Mine Clearing Line Charge or MICLIC in service in the Russian
inventory, just as it was in the former Soviet one. The vehicle has been assigned to specialized
mine-warfare units in independent companies that can be attached organically to larger units.
Although a new generation of ground drones is expected to replace the Meteorite in the future,
the mine-clearing vehicle continues to play an active role in the modern Russian Army,
and it is expected to continue serving for years to come.
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