Ukraine Blasts Russian Multimillion-Dollar Thermobaric System As It Launched

Soldiers from the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade, named after King Danylo, reportedly destroyed a Russian TOS 1-A Solntsepyok “heavy flamethrower” near Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region on Tuesday Sept. 10 as it was involved in active ammunition launches.

According to a Telegram report, the drone attack was carried out by the Brigade’s RAROG unmanned aerial systems battalion.

“FPV drones struck the system while it was launching ammunition. The Solntsepyok is a fearsome weapon that uses reactive thermobaric projectiles,” read the caption accompanying the video released by the brigade.

The footage, which Kyiv Post could not independently verify, was recorded by drone cameras. It appears to show the Russian multiple rocket launcher system (MLRS) launching two projectiles before being struck by the Ukrainian drones. The video contains footage showing several drone hits, after which the apparently destroyed Solntsepyok remains motionless, with smoke billowing nearby.

Ukrainian aerial intelligence officers told Kyiv Post that at least four drones were used to target and immobilize the flamethrower system, a common tactic that is used to ensure a “kill.”

“Multiple drones immobilize the target, and others try to destroy it,” one Ukrainian aerial scout told Kyiv Post.

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The Ukrainian military regularly reports that Russian forces are resorting to ‘meat assaults,’ sending wounded or poorly trained fighters into battle as cannon fodder.

“Sometimes the drone reaches the target, but the target has already ‘escaped,’” he added.

Another scout disclosed that if the Solntsepyok wasn't completely destroyed, Russian forces would probably attempt to recover it from the battlefield under cover of night, using special equipment.

The TOS-1A Solntsepyok “heavy flamethrower” is an MLRS mounted on a modified T-72 chassis which fires rockets equipped with thermobaric warheads. It is designed to destroy light-armored vehicles, enemy personnel in open areas, and fortified buildings using powerful volume explosions. It fires 220 mm unguided rockets, each weighing over 200 kilograms (440 pounds).

The thermobaric ammunition creates an explosive fuel-air cloud that, when detonated, causes a rapid drop in atmospheric pressure, the force of which can collapse buildings and rupture internal organs, often with fatal results.

Cost estimates for the Solntsepyok system range from $6.5 to $15 million.

Chasiv Yar, a strategic location in the Donbas region, has been the site of intense fighting. Russian forces have repeatedly tried to breach Ukrainian defenses near the town to push into another sector but have been unsuccessful. After failing to outflank Chasiv Yar, Russian troops launched direct assaults, suffering heavy losses, according to Oleh Kalashnikov, press officer for the 26th Artillery Brigade.

Kalashnikov said the town’s strategic advantage is due to its elevated position, saying, “Chasiv Yar sits on a ridge, allowing Ukrainian forces to control the lowlands. The town acts as a fortress protecting the nearby urban areas like Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, Druzhkivka, and Kostyantynivka.”

He also mentioned that Russian forces had not gained fire control over Chasiv Yar and had been unable to establish a foothold.

DeepState analysts reported the last significant changes to the front line near Chasiv Yar occurred in early August. On Aug. 30, Andriy Polukhin, a spokesperson for the 24th Separate Mechanized Brigade, retracted a previous statement claiming that Russian forces control 40 percent of Chasiv Yar.

Before the war, Chasiv Yar, located 10 kilometers (6.5 miles) from Bakhmut and 65 kilometers (40 miles) from Donetsk, had a population of around 14,000. The town, much like Bakhmut and Avdiivka, has suffered devastating damage due to intense fighting. “It’s just ruins now,” Polukhin stated.

In early July, Ukrainian forces withdrew from the Kanal microdistrict in Chasiv Yar due to the destruction of defensive positions, which posed a significant risk to soldiers’ lives, according to Nazar Voloshyn, spokesperson for the Khortytsia operational and strategic group of troops.