Ukrainian Drones Strike Russia’s TOS-1A Thermobaric Rocket Launcher in Donetsk Region

Ukrainian drone operators struck a Russian TOS-1A Solntsepyok heavy thermobaric rocket launcher concealed inside a military equipment shelter in the Russian-occupied part of Ukraine’s Donetsk region.

The operation was carried out by drone operators from the 4th Battalion of Ukraine’s 413th Raid Regiment, part of the Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces.

The regiment released footage showing the strike on the shelter and its aftermath. The extent of the damage to the launcher was not independently confirmed. The targeted TOS-1A reportedly belonged to a radiation, chemical, and biological defense company attached to Russia’s 76th Guards Air Assault Division.

The TOS-1A Solntsepyok is a Russian short-range multiple rocket launcher designed to fire thermobaric and incendiary rockets against fortified positions, defensive structures, and concentrations of personnel.

Mounted on a modified T-72 tank chassis, the system carries 24 launch tubes and can deliver a concentrated barrage over a relatively small area.

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War in Ukraine

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Its thermobaric munitions generate intense heat and a powerful blast wave, making the weapon particularly dangerous against troops in enclosed spaces and fortifications.

Unlike conventional artillery systems, the TOS-1A is operated by Russia’s radiation, chemical, and biological defense troops.

Earlier, on November 9, Ukraine’s General Staff reported strikes on a Russian electronic warfare station used to jam Starlink communications in occupied Donetsk, as well as ammunition depots and logistics facilities across Russian-held territories.

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