A Dangerous Artillery Shell Discovered in the Field of the Potato Research Institute – Farmer Miraculously Survives!
During the humanitarian demining of land belonging to the Potato Research Institute in the Kyiv region, a 100 mm artillery shell with a damaged fuse was discovered. The munition was found on the ground, almost at the surface, in the area where UDS is currently conducting clearance operations.
However, a farmer entered the field without waiting for official permission, bringing machinery and starting sowing operations.
💬 “The farmer who entered the area was just lucky. God protected him. It's a real miracle that the shell didn’t detonate while he was working the field. It could have cost the tractor driver his life — he drove over that shell at least twice,” said Eduard Drach, UDS Technical Director.
Serhii Tsykeniuk, Head of the UDS “Center” Humanitarian Demining Department, added:
💬 “We understand that farmers are in a rush to complete their sowing on time, but we are doing everything possible to hand over safe land to them as quickly as we can. At the same time, ignoring safety rules is absolutely unacceptable.”
According to Tsykeniuk, work on this field is being conducted under an agreement between UDS and the Humanitarian Demining Center, signed at the end of April 2025. Demining of 318 hectares of land began immediately afterward.
🔻 The dangerous munition has already been safely removed and will soon be destroyed.
💣 About the munition: The 100 mm high-explosive fragmentation shell (a typical example from the Soviet OF-412 / OF-412U series) is designed to destroy personnel, unarmored and lightly armored vehicles, as well as field fortifications. It was used in D-10 series tank guns (e.g., D-10T in T-54/55 tanks and the SU-100), as well as towed guns like the BS-3 and MT-12.
Technical specifications:
- Caliber: 100 mm
- Weight (complete): 27.1–30.1 kg
- Projectile weight: 15.6–15.8 kg
- Explosive charge: 1.5 kg
⚠️‼️ Important warning:It is life-threatening to begin any work on fields that are still undergoing demining!Protect yourself and your workers — wait for official clearance before starting field operations.