Learn why you should always watch your step !
Brought to you by a combatant in Eastern Ukraine.
You do not want to be in his boots.
Did he die?
Now some details seen in the video.
Attachment 910171
Note how far his left heel is lifted off the ground.
Most of the body weight has already been shifted to the right leg.
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The left leg curls up by reflex as the combatant falls forward. You can make out the bottom of his left boot.
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As he hits the ground, you can catch a glimpse of the pink flesh of the opened up right leg.
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The left leg and foot is still attached. Where is the right side ?
Attachment 910175
The right leg below the knee is gone.
Even more background details of what happened in the video and why you don’t want to be in his boots. Attachment 910176
The landmine stepped on in the video was likely a Russian PMN-4 anti-personnel mine that is deploy in recent Eastern Europe and Middle East conflicts.
It only contains a small explosive charge of 50 gram of TNT/RDX mixture.
Attachment 910177
Looking at the moment before the blast. Note how the left heel is lift off the ground. Most of his body weight is being supported by the right leg.
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The landmine was under his right heel. An exploding landmine sends its blast directly upwards. A landmine detonating under the heel will send the blast through the heel ankle and up the lower leg. Where as one detonating under the forefoot would go through the foot and dissipate above.
Attachment 910497
A landmine blast under the heel has a distinctive “umbrella like” damaging effect on the leg.
(left) Once the blast destroys the heel and and ankle. (center) The blast has a tendency to go further along the long bones of the leg, stripping off any soft tissue and opening the lower leg up with a “umbrella” like effect. Debris consisting of bits of landmine, dirt, footwear, clothing, bone are pushed up the leg.
(right) The wound left behind this type of injury looks deceiving lower down the leg when viewed from the outside. However, inside the leg tissue is destroyed and heavily contaminated. The only viable medical treatment is amputation of the much higher up the leg to ensure no infection causing debris is left inside the leg.
Attachment 910179
The tactical boot on the left has heavy duty rubber outsoles and kevlar anti-puncture plate.
The sneaker on the right has soft foam soles that are easily punctured by a sharp rock or nail.
You are surely better protected when wearing tactical boots over the sneakers? Are you?
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Unfortunately, the tactical boot’s features that make them comfortable for walking over rough terrain also enhances the blasts destructive “umbrella” effect.
1.) The boot’s reinforced uppers that provide great support also inhibits the penetrating blast from venting and dissipating into the surroundings. This leads to much greater blast pressure build up within the boot before it bursts apart. The sturdier the footwear, the higher greater the effect.
2.) The boot’s high top that prevents ankle sprains also funnels the blast overpressure out the top and further up leg !
The above results in a greater “umbrella” damaging effect on the lower leg and lead to the need of amputation higher up the leg..
Attachment 910498
A mine blast under any the rear part of any enclosed footwear will enhance its “umbrella” like damaging effect.
1.) However the sneakers less robust upper will burst apart much earlier allowing more of the blast dissipate into the surroundings instead of up the leg.
2.) Its low top design forces less of the destructive blast up the leg.
Attachment 910180
Here how your boots will look before and after. Note how it tore apart at the seams.
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This is how your leg would look like if a landmine exploded under your heel while wearing tactical boots. Note the results of the umbrella like injury effect and how the blast went up the leg while the toes are still attached and intact. The lower leg below the knee is completely destroyed. The leg will need to be amputated at the thigh level.
Also for reference: A infantryman who was luckier than the combatant.
The following infantryman who stepped on a more powerful landmine with RDX explosive in Afghanistan. He was more fortunate as the mine did not explode under his heel.
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^^The infantryman’s legs before (left) and after the incident (right). Only the forward / mid portion (shaded in red) of the foot was blown off. A significant portion of the infantryman's left lower leg remains.
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^^Close up the incapacitated infantryman’s feet. Comparing the victims right foot/boot with the remains of the where the left foot/boot would be. The forefoot section is clearly missing, but the rear heel section still remains attached.
The VS-50 mine clearly exploded under the forefoot portion of the foot/boot shaded in red. The VS-50 mine is added for scale.
Attachment 910513
^^Further details on the landmine injury.
(Red): The forward portion of the left foot is clearly blown off.
(orange): The right thigh shows deep penetrating injury caused by shrapnel released by the mine. This required immediate treatment and bandaging.
(green): However, the lower portion of the heel, ankle, shin , lower leg are relatively intact. If the VS-50 , 50gram RDX charge exploded under the heel, the lower leg would receive greater injury.
(yellow): The lower portion suffered some soft tissue damage from the blast. However, the injuries were not deeply penetrating.
(purple:) The victims upper inner thigh and genital area escaped shrapnel injury. Shrapnel released by medium sized landmine like the VS-50 can easily cause shrapnel injury to these area’s.
