Watch Ukraine Destroy Russia's 'Most Dangerous' $6.5 Million Rocket System

Footage shared on social media Thursday shows Ukraine's military destroying a deadly Russian rocket system that is capable of launching thermobaric missiles.

Mykhailo Fedorov, who serves as Ukraine's deputy prime minister for innovation, education, science and technology, posted video of a special forces unit from the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) using a first-person view (FPV) drone to strike a TOS-1A "Solntsepek (Blazing Sun)" rocket system.

One Solntsepek rocket system reportedly costs more than $6.5 million, including servicing, training and ammunition. The system can launch between 24 and 30 thermobaric rockets, which has led Russia's Defense Ministry to describe the Solntsepek as a "heavy flamethrower."

"This system is one of the most dangerous [Multiple Launch Rocket Systems], capable of using thermobaric warheads," Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs, wrote on Twitter in a post that shared Fedorov's clip. "This destruction undoubtedly saved many Ukrainian lives, equipment, and infrastructure."

In his post, Fedorov said the FPV drone turned the Solntsepek "into a pile of metal scrap. This heavy flamethrower system will no longer kill Ukrainians."

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Ministry of Defense via email for comment.

In March 2022, the British Defense Ministry said the TOS-1A's thermobaric rockets cause "incendiary and blast effects" because of the oxygen required to create the explosion. Meanwhile, Russian state media have reported on the Solntsepek's diverse range, saying it is capable of firing at close distances while also reaching targets as far away as 5.6 miles.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported earlier this year on the use of Solntsepeks in Ukraine, saying Russian forces had attacked Ukrainian positions with 220 mm shells launched by one of the rocket systems, "burning out their shelters, observation posts, ammunition depots and artillery positions."

Defense and military technology expert David Hambling previously told Newsweek that Solntsepeks cause an "extremely powerful shock wave which can shatter buildings." This can help identify when it has been used.

In an online report, the Ukrainian Military Center offered more details of the strike captured by the video Fedorov posted. It said the Solntsepek was destroyed in the occupied village of Zaitseve, which is near the city of Bakhmut.

The center also said the FPV drone used was a quadcopter Pegasus, a type of unmanned aerial vehicle that is manufactured from "inexpensive foreign parts and equipped with explosive devices."

Regarding the footage posted by Fedorov, the Ukrainian Military Center said the "released video demonstrates how an inexpensive drone can destroy such systems if it hits a launcher with ammunition."