Ukrainian forces have destroyed one of Russia’s most feared weapons – the TOС‑1A Solntsepyok thermobaric rocket launcher – for the first time ever on Russian territory.
The strike was carried out by FPV drone pilots of the “Bulava” unmanned systems battalion from Ukraine’s 72nd Mechanized Brigade, named after the Black Zaporozhians.
The attack took place in Russia’s Belgorod region, just across the border from Ukraine.
Video released by the unit on Monday shows real‑time footage from first-person view (FPV) drones as they close in on the target.
In the video, the Solntsepyok is hit four times in succession, triggering a massive detonation of its onboard ammunition. The explosion destroys the launcher, estimated to be worth more $10-15 million.
The footage marks the first confirmed destruction of a TOС‑1A inside Russia, a weapon Moscow has long used to bombard Ukrainian military positions and civilian areas with thermobaric rockets.
Ukrainian drones also followed up on a nearby Russian Msta‑S self-propelled howitzer. Several FPV hits ignited a fire inside the 152mm artillery system, with thick smoke pouring from the vehicle.
Footage, posted Tuesday, suggests the crew fled after the initial strike, likely fearing an ammunition explosion. Ukrainian drones continued attacking to ensure the howitzer’s total destruction.
Often mislabeled a “flamethrower,” the TOС‑1A Solntsepyok is in fact a long‑range artillery system firing unguided rockets armed with thermobaric warheads.
These weapons are designed to maximize blast effects rather than fire, creating oxygen depletion and extreme pressure changes capable of rupturing internal organs and causing instant death.
Dubbed “legendary” by Russian propaganda, the system fires salvos of 24 rockets, each weighing more than 200 kilograms (441 pounds), saturating an area roughly 200 by 200 meters.
Russian forces have repeatedly used the weapon to level fortifications and devastate entire neighborhoods in Ukraine.
Ukraine also operates several captured Solntsepyok systems, taken during earlier battles.
Since the start of Russia’s full‑scale invasion, Ukraine has destroyed at least 24 Solntsepyok systems, damaged six more, and captured three. More than 250 “Msta‑S” artillery systems have also been destroyed or damaged.
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.