Russia used ‘increased range flamethrowers’ to attack Ukrainian targets

Russian war correspondent Alexander Kots on October 15 posted a video from a drone, showing the TOS-1A thermobaric rocket artillery attacking the position of the Ukrainian army. The specific filming time and location were not disclosed.

“This is the first image showing the TOS-1A complex firing a new type of ammunition. I will not state its technical characteristics, because the information has not been published. However, the range and coverage area of This type of ammunition has increased significantly,” the Russian reporter said.

Kots said that the original TOS-1A system only had a range of 6 km, forcing crews to travel 3-4 km to reach the firing position and easily be exposed to enemy fire. “The new type of ammunition helps the TOS-1A complex not face as great a risk as before. Units participating in the Kupyansk front in Kharkov province highly appreciate this advantage,” he said.

Accounts supporting the Russian military on Telegram said the new Russian TOS-1A rocket has a maximum range of 15 km, 2.5 times more than the original version. This helps the rocket artillery complexes move away from the front line, avoiding the risk of being attacked by Ukrainian suicide drones.

The Russian Ministry of Defense and the Ukrainian army have not commented on the information.

Russian media reported in November 2022 that Omsktransmash, the manufacturer of the TOS-1A system, has upgraded this complex to increase range and accuracy, as well as modernize some equipment and simplify the process. targeting program.

Denis Petrov, chief engineer of Omsktransmash, said that the upgrade program stems from battlefield realities, when TOS-1A guns are increasingly present in the front line, instead of just in the back line on support missions. as originally designed.

The Soviet Union developed the TOS-1 Buratino, known as the “flamethrower”, since the late 1970s and commissioned the first complexes in 1988. TOS-1 is equipped with a cluster of 24 220 mm caliber launch tubes. , mounted on the body frame of the main tank T-72.

The TOS-1A variant has been in service with the Russian army since 2001, applying many improvements such as increased range, adding a ballistics computer and placed on the T-90 tank chassis. The manufacturer then also produced a series of new versions such as TOS-2 and TOS-3, focusing on increasing maneuverability and shrinking the launch tube cluster.

When the TOS-1A thermobaric projectile reaches the target area, the primary explosive charge will activate and disperse the flammable fuel mixture in the form of a cloud. The secondary explosion will detonate the cloud, creating a giant fireball with shock waves and a vacuum capable of draining the surrounding oxygen.

This mechanism increases the power of thermobaric bullets when exploding in closed environments such as buildings or trenches. The British Ministry of Defense once stated that TOS-1A could “destroy infrastructure and cause people affected by the explosion to die from burns and serious damage to internal organs”.