Russian troops deployed an iconic flamethrower weapon in Ukraine
MOSCOW, RUSSIA — Russia officially announced the deployment of an iconic flamethrower weapon to the front line in Ukraine. It is about the TOS-1A Solntsepek heavy flamethrower system. The Department of Defense announced the news on March 3, saying the system was already in service with airborne troops stationed in Ukraine.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, the system will be used on the battlefield, according to open-source reports, the TOS-1A is already in use. It was the appearance of a video on the network on March 2 that claimed that Russian troops were already firing the TOS-1A. The video shows the devastating power of the system, claiming that Ukrainian positions have already been attacked by it.
Russian troops in the Saratov Region were the first to receive the flamethrower system. The Kremlin says radiation, chemical, and biological threat troops are stationed there.
There are various claims about the power and striking power of the weapon. Some sources, which cannot be supported as credible, claim that upon hitting the ground, the projectile of the system raises the temperature in a specific radius by 3,000 degrees Celsius.
TOS-1A dual purpose
Russian Colonel Alexei Goncharov tells Russian media that the TOS-1A has a dual purpose. First, it strikes “terribly”, and secondly, it causes panic in the enemy. According to the Russian officer, the TOS-1A is one of the Russian weapons that can be the reason that the Russian army “reaps” successes on the battlefield and leads the Kremlin to victory.
Russian media claim that the flamethrower system has already recorded key victories. For example, according to RIA Novosti, TOS-1A has already destroyed the fortified positions of the Ukrainian army. According to some reports, Ukrainian positions near Kremennaya in Luhansk Narodna have already been burned. A military analyst for RIA Novosti says that even a soldier in the trenches cannot protect himself from the power of the system, which fires thermobaric projectiles.
How many TOS-1As are available in the inventory of the Russian army remains an unknown quantity. However, it turned out that in 2017 the Kremlin placed an order for 20 units, which were to be sent to the inventory of the Russian troops for radiation, chemical, and biological protection.
About TOS-1A
Otherwise, the TOS-1A is the latest version of the TOS-1 flamethrower system. It was developed in 2001. TOS-1 has already been used in Ukraine since the beginning of the war. BulgarianMilitary.com has repeatedly reported on destroyed Ukrainian positions and destroyed TOS-1 systems by the forces of the Ukrainian army.
TOS-1A is operated by a crew of three. TOS-1A is a self-propelled flamethrower system using the T-72 tank chassis. 24 rockets are loaded into the system, and a separate 48 rockets are loaded into the reloading system of the flamethrower.
The maximum range of the TOS-1A is up to 6,000 meters, while the minimum is up to 400 meters. The interesting thing about the system is the ability to launch several rockets per second. The system’s missiles are unguided, but an additional engine in their design allows for an increased range. The system can cover a distance of up to 500 km, and the maximum speed it develops is 60 km/h.
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 21 February 2022, Russia claimed that Ukrainian shelling had destroyed an FSB border facility. Russia claimed that it had killed 5 Ukrainian soldiers. They tried to cross into Russian territory. Ukraine denied being involved in both incidents and called them a false flag.
On the same day, the Russian government formally recognized the self-proclaimed DPR and LPR. According to Putin not only in their de-facto controlled areas, but the Ukrainian Oblasts as a whole. Putin ordered Russian troops, including tanks, to enter the regions.
On 24 February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an invasion of Ukraine by Russian Armed Forces previously concentrated along the border. The invasion followed by targeted airstrikes of military buildings in the country, as well as tanks entering via the Belarus border.
Russia has so far not recognized the invasion of Ukraine as a “war”, although that is exactly what it is, claiming that it is a “special military operation”. According to the UN, a “special military operation” can only take place after a UN resolution. There is no such resolution. So this is an invasion and war against Ukraine.
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