Newsweek on April 7 posted an aerial video recording the TOS-1A cannon's thermobaric shells attacking targets in the center of Bakhmut, the hotbed that has witnessed fierce fighting between Russia and Ukraine in recent times.
According to military expert Rob Lee from the Institute for Foreign Policy Studies (USA), the thermobaric shells falling to the ground caused large fires and destroyed many targets.
"Russia's TOS-1A multiple launch thermobaric rocket launcher attacked the center of Bakhmut. This is a very effective weapon for fighting in urban terrain even against enemies in fortified defensive positions," said Mr. Lee.
Russian thermobaric artillery attacked the stronghold of Bakhmut
TOS-1A, also known as "Sunfire", is a multiple launch rocket launcher with 24-30 barrels depending on the variant. The weapon's thermobaric warhead is designed to attack fortified defense targets, fortifications, enemy armored vehicles, etc.
The TOS-1A Solntsepyok rocket launcher has a range of 3-4km and uses powerful missiles. The area affected by the massive fire attacks is equivalent to 6 football fields, up to 40,000m2.
In addition, Solntsepyok also uses a thermobaric warhead, which allows it to spray flammable solutions when it hits a target and ignites. In certain environments , the temperature from the Solntsepyok's thermobaric warhead can reach 1,000 degrees Celsius, providing significant destructive power.
Attacks using TOS-1A often create shock waves, causing secondary damage to targets. With its wide-area destructive power and ability to penetrate fortified structures, TOS-1A is considered the top weapon in Russia's artillery arsenal, as well as the most powerful non-nuclear weapon Moscow possesses, according to experts.
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