Ukrainian sapper turns defused Soviet mine into a ukulele — video
A Ukrainian sapper with the call sign Chernozem turned a Soviet TM-62M anti-tank mine into a ukulele by attaching a neck to the defused device, the 128th Separate Brigade reported on May 7.
Andriy, a defender with Ukraine’s Armed Forces, was a professional musician before the war — performing in bands, working as a studio musician, and engineering sound recordings.
In 2014, he volunteered to help the military as an auto mechanic, repairing damaged vehicles. After Russia’s full-scale invasion, he joined the 128th Separate Mountain Assault Brigade, known as the “Dyke Pole,” where he now serves as a sapper.
His call sign, “Chernozem,” is a nod to Ukraine’s fertile black soil — and, as his brigade puts it, to the land that “turns occupiers into fertilizer.”
Andriy lost a foot after stepping on an anti-personnel mine during a combat mission. He says music, and especially his guitar, helped him manage phantom pain in the aftermath of the injury.
After adapting to a prosthetic leg, he returned to duty and began performing again — often for wounded soldiers in hospitals. Most recently, he crafted a ukulele from a used mine casing.
His first audience? The cats he and his unit care for. He serenaded them with “Chervona Ruta,” a beloved Ukrainian song.
Now, Andriy continues to play for fellow soldiers and is gaining a following online for his resilience and creativity.
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