To help with counteroffensive: Metinvest starts supplying mine trawls of its own production to AFU and National Guard

Metinvest Group has launched mass production of mine trawls of a similar design to the KMT-7, which are mounted on tanks to neutralize and detonate anti-tank and anti-personnel mines. After passing all the necessary tests from the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the mine trawls were handed over to the National Guard and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Metinvest has already started supplying the equipment to the Ukrainian army. The planned production volume is up to five trawls per month, according to the company's website.

Mine trawls are a purely Ukrainian product made from Ukrainian steel at Metinvest Group's enterprises in Ukraine as part of the Steel Front initiative of businessman Rinat Akhmetov.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces' need for trawls is urgent due to the enemy's dense mining along the entire frontline. Metinvest engineers have improved the KMT-7 mine trawls by making their own alternative: paired rollers mounted on tanks. The cost of manufacturing one trawl is about UAH 2.5 million, including additional equipment for tank crews required to mount the device.

"Our defenders risk their lives every day to overcome minefields, which have become one of the biggest obstacles to our counteroffensive. We want to help save the equipment, but most importantly, we want to save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers. That's why we have started producing mine trawls for the Armed Forces. These trawls have passed all the tests and are already being used in the hottest spots of the frontline, taking over mine detonation instead of tanks and armored vehicles. This is just the first step for Metinvest in a large project to help demine Ukraine. We have been doing and will continue to do everything to help our country win and return peace to our land," Rinat Akhmetov said.

One set of rollers weighs 6.5 tons and measures 3.77 x 3.44 meters. According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces standards, one trawl should be able to withstand 4-5 anti-tank mine explosions. Since the trawls work in pairs, both must be able to withstand 8 to 10 explosions. The trawl is routinely mounted on the main battle tanks of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Metinvest's mine trawls will be primarily supplied to the National Guard and Army brigades in the hottest spots of the frontline. To help the combat brigades to quickly repair the trawls after use, the company has also launched the production of components for the products, which allows them to quickly return the mine-resistant equipment to the frontline.

"Mine trawls are an important component of counteroffensive operations. They not only protect Ukrainian tank crews but also clear the way for infantry. The availability of such equipment, which can be manufactured by Ukrainian enterprises, is critical for the country during the war. It allows Ukraine's security and defense forces to be sure in the rear, in this case, Ukrainian metallurgists, miners, and engineers from Metinvest," said Andriy Beliaev, commander of the Khortytsia 25th Public Security Protection Brigade of the National Guard.

It should be noted that Metinvest has been systematically supporting the Ukrainian defense since the first days of the full-scale invasion. Over a year and a half of military aggression, the company has already allocated UAH 2 billion to support the defenders of Ukraine as part of Rinat Akhmetov's Steel Front initiative. This includes 150,000 bulletproof vests manufactured at the company's own facilities and purchased, more than 280 mobile shelters, 250 high-precision models of military equipment, more than 30 "Lancet drone catchers", as well as thousands of drones and thermal imagers, vehicles, communications equipment, and other military equipment purchased and donated to the Ukrainian defense forces.