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Russia has been using thermobaric rocket launchers since the early days of the war in Ukraine and its airborne units have now received deliveries of the feared TOS-1A "Solntsepek," according to Russia's military.
Calling the Solntsepek (Blazing Sun) a weapon that "causes panic," Russia's defense ministry said on Monday that paratroopers heading for Ukraine would be deployed with the artillery system. It is the "first time in their history" that airborne soldiers have received what Moscow calls a "heavy flame-thrower."
"You are being given a formidable weapon, which has no equal in the arsenals of the collective West," one Russian colonel said in the statement posted by the defense ministry.
On March 31, the defense ministry said Russian troops had attacked Ukrainian positions with 220 mm thermobaric shells launched by a TOS-1, "burning out their shelters, observation posts, ammunition depots and artillery positions."
Newsweek has reached out to Ukraine's defense ministry for comment via email.
Thermobaric weapons appeared as a topic of conversation in a Russian state media broadcast, posted to Twitter by journalist Julia Davis on Monday. In a discussion centered around targeting key Ukrainian cities, state media host and Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov mentioned the use of the "Solntsepek" system.
The Solntsepek can fire several dozen thermobaric rockets and is mounted on different main battle tank chassis, depending on the version. The TOS-1A is an upgraded version of the TOS-1, with "an increased range as a result of longer rockets," according to the U.S. military.
These thermobaric rockets create "incendiary and blast effects" lasting longer than conventional explosives, the British defense ministry said in March 2022.
"The impact of the TOS-1A is devastating," the ministry said. "It can destroy infrastructure, and cause significant damage to internal organs and flash burns, resulting in death to those exposed."
Destroying buildings, infrastructure and the "enemy's manpower" is precisely the intention of these weapons, according to Russian state media.
The TOS-1A was used by Soviet forces in Afghanistan and by Russian forces in Chechnya as well as in Ukraine since the start of all-out war in February 2022. Thermobaric weapons were also used by the U.S. in the 1960s.
The precision-guided rockets initially detonate, but this high-temperature explosion is followed by a second ignition. Using the TOS-1A often produces an "extremely powerful shock wave which can shatter buildings," military and defense expert David Hambling previously told Newsweek. This distinctive feature helps identify when thermobaric weapons have been used, he added.
The TOS-1A has a maximum range of 5.6 miles, and is able to be combat-ready within a minute and a half, according to Russian state media and defense exporter, Rosoboronexport.
The Solntsepek is designed for use against fortifications, trenches and bunkers on the battlefield, Hambling said. They can be "highly effective," and are a "high-priority" weapon in Russia's arsenal, he continued. It is thought Russia only has limited numbers of these thermobaric launchers.
"The only effective way to counter them is to identify, locate and take out the launchers before they can be brought into action," Hambling said.
The TOS-1 family of launchers are "impossible to use in an inhabited area without a high risk of civilian casualties," Hambling added, noting the launchers were once dubbed "a war crime on tracks." It is not illegal to use thermobaric weapons, but they cannot be used in a way that would endanger civilian populations.
Thermobaric weapons are "likely to cause civilian casualties due to their indiscriminate and uncontained nature," according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.
About the writer
Ellie Cook is a Newsweek security and defense reporter based in London, U.K. Her work focuses largely on the Russia-Ukraine ... Read more