Ukrainian forces have destroyed two Russian TOS-1A Solntsepyok thermobaric warhead multiple rocket launcher systems (MRLS) in the Kharkiv region, striking the weapons with explosive drones, the 429th Separate Achilles Drone Regiment said.
The regiment released footage on YouTube on Monday, Sept. 29, showing first-person-view (FPV) drones targeting the launchers in the Kupiansk sector.
The video appears to show two separate strikes – one hitting a stationary Solntsepyok, and another hitting the same type of system on the move, possibly as Russian troops attempted to flee the attack.
Kyiv Post couldn’t independently verify the footage of the Achilles regiment.
The TOS-1A system is often erroneously translated as a heavy “flamethrower” system, but it bears no resemblance to the gasoline-fueled backpack and wand system used in World War II, or by forestry agencies for fighting wildfires, or portrayed in film posters for the Ghostbusters movies.
The Russian system is actually a long-range artillery weapon that employs unguided rockets to thermobaric warheads optimized for blast effects, including oxygen depletion and alternating atmospheric over- and under-pressurization to wreak havoc as an anti-personnel area weapon, with any incendiary effects being secondary.
Russian forces use the Solntsepyok to bombard Ukrainian positions and civilian areas with thermobaric rockets capable of leveling fortifications and devastating entire neighborhoods.
Dubbed a “legend” in Russian propaganda, the TOS-1A fires salvos of 24 unguided rockets, each weighing more than 200 kilograms (441 pounds), across an area measuring 200 by 200 meters. The rockets disperse a flammable aerosol before detonation, creating a massive pressure drop that can rupture internal organs and cause instant death.
The system is designed to destroy lightly armored vehicles, enemy personnel in open terrain, and defensive strongholds. Depending on configuration, its cost is estimated between $6.5 million and $15 million.
Ukraine also operates several captured Solntsepyok systems, taken during earlier battles. Throughout the war, the launchers have been repeatedly destroyed in drone and artillery strikes.
In June, Ukraine’s Phoenix drone unit reported eliminating a Russian Solntsepyok alongside a tank, a robotic ground vehicle, and several soldiers in a separate strike in the Kharkiv region.
In early September 2024, soldiers from Ukraine’s 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade destroyed a Russian TOS-1A Solntsepyok near Chasiv Yar in Donetsk while it was actively launching ammunition.
FPV drones struck the system mid-launch. Footage showed the Solntsepyok firing two projectiles before being hit multiple times by drones, eventually coming to a stop as smoke billowed nearby.
In July 2022, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that Ukrainian forces were actively hunting the Solntsepyok system because of its battlefield effectiveness.
A ministry representative said the system fires thermobaric rockets that create a fireball reaching temperatures of around 3,000 degrees Celsius, making it impossible for enemy troops to find safety even in dugouts.
According to Russian officials, Solntsepyok has no direct equivalent anywhere in the world.
Despite its power, Solntsepyok has significant weaknesses. It is large and lightly armored, making it vulnerable to attacks from anti-tank missile systems and grenade launchers.
If the system is damaged, it can also pose a danger to nearby Russian troops due to the nature of its munitions.
For instance, as reported by Kyiv Post, in mid-June of 2024, ammunition from a Solntsepyok thermobaric warhead exploded in Shebekino, a town approximately 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) north of the Russian-Ukrainian border in Belgorod Oblast, killing three Russian soldiers.