Sappers remotely mined a section of terrain in the area for a possible breakthrough by Ukrainian forces, according to the ministry.
"Equipped with seismic sensors and electronic chips, the mines [used by Zemledeliye] can detect the type of approaching target and are only triggered by strictly programmed targets, be it military equipment or a passing person," the statement pointed out.
The ministry added that a whole array of Ukrainian tanks and armed personnel carriers had already been destroyed by Zemledeliye’s smart mines.
Zemledeliye, which operates as a multiple-launch rocket system, is capable of firing 122mm rockets containing anti-personnel, or anti-tank mines, at a distance of up to 15 kilometers away. A single salvo from Zemledeliye can transform several thousand square meters of land into a deadly minefield.
The mines deployed by Zemledeliye can be pre-programmed to self-destruct after a certain period, thus ensuring that the minefields laid by this weapon would not pose a threat to civilians once the fighting is over.