Russian "thermobaric fire god" opens fire, destroying Ukrainian stronghold

On January 8, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a video recording the attack of the TOS-1A Solntsepyok artillery system on the positions of Ukrainian forces in the East.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Solntsepyok system attacked a stronghold and a concentration of Ukrainian servicemen in the Torsky area of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic.

Russian "thermobaric fire god" destroys Ukrainian stronghold (Source: Sputnik).

The Russian Defense Ministry said the crew fired 220mm thermobaric shells at enemy fortifications before leaving the position under the cover of a fire support group.

The attack by the Solntsepyok system was carried out in coordination with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), helping to accurately attack the target.

In recent times, Russia’s heavy thermobaric systems have demonstrated their power on the battlefield by destroying many fortified targets in Ukraine. Russia seems to use thermobaric ammunition in raid missions because this type of ammunition can cause great destruction to the enemy’s fortified targets.

The TOS-1A system, also known as Solntsepyok, is a thermobaric rocket artillery system with 24 launch tubes, capable of targeting enemy soldiers, equipment or any fortifications in an area equivalent to 6 football fields, up to 40,000m2.

The TOS-1A multiple launch rocket system has been in service since 1987 and is one of the most powerful weapons in the Russian army's artillery arsenal.

Designed to attack enemy infantry in fortifications and in light armored vehicles, the TOS-1A is capable of launching missiles carrying thermobaric or incendiary warheads.

Hỏa thần nhiệt áp Nga khai hỏa, phá hủy cứ điểm Ukraine - 1 — Russian army's TOS-1A rocket launcher fires (Photo: Military Review).

TOS-1A weighs 46 tons, is 6.86m long, 3.46m wide, 2.6m high, has a caliber of 220mm, 24 launchers, a firing rate of 24 tubes/12s, a maximum firing range of 6km, a crew of 3, a maximum speed of 65km/h, and a fuel range of 550km.

TOS-1A is equipped with two types of ammunition including incendiary ammunition and thermobaric explosive warheads.

Both types of warheads, when fired at a target, will create a fire that burns and destroys the target with a chemical explosion contained in the missile. The working principle of this warhead is to disperse a special flammable substance into a "cloud" surrounding the target and activate the cloud to create a large explosion.

The fire created when burning fuel will cause the air to suddenly expand, creating shock waves, capable of killing infantry hiding in deep underground shelters, bunkers, and caves, by burning all the oxygen reserves and creating a partial vacuum in a short time, sucking all the oxygen through the vents, completely destroying the enemy without any way to defend themselves.

In certain environments, the temperature from the Solntsepyok's thermobaric warhead can reach 1,000 degrees Celsius, providing significant destructive power. Therefore, this system is called "solar fire".

Source