The Special Group “Alpha” operator of the drone hit the Russian TOS-1A Heavy Flamethrower System using an FPV drone.

The Security Service of Ukraine announced about this on its Twitter account.

“Soldiers of the Special Group “Alpha” of the Security Service of Ukraine burned the Russian Solntsepyok Heavy Flamethrower System right at the moment of its salvo,” the SSU press service wrote.

The video shows a direct hit by a kamikaze drone on ammunition during the operation of a Russian flamethrower system on Ukrainian positions.

Since February 24, units of flamethrowers with TOS-1А from various military districts of the Russian Federation have been participating in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

According to the General Staff, as of February 15, 2023, the Armed Forces of Ukraine had already neutralized nine such systems.

TOS-1A Solntsepyok

The TOS-1A Solntsepyok Heavy Flamethrower System was created on the basis of the TOS-1 Buratino and entered service with the ground forces of the Russian Federation in two-thousand years.

Armored vehicles of a specific kind are used for firing unguided thermobaric rockets. Russia makes them in a small series. According to various estimates, several dozen Solntsepyoks received flamethrower units from NBC Protection Troops.

The heavy flamethrower system uses MO.1.01.04M unguided rockets, which have a length of 3700 mm and a weight of 217 kg.

These rockets consist of a thermobaric or ignition head part, a fuse, and a solid fuel jet engine.

Despite the aggressive marketing of the Russian military industry and the numerous statements of the Russian media about the high efficiency of TOS-1 and TOS-1А Heavy Flamethrower Systems, combat vehicles have significant disadvantages.

The main drawback of TOS-1 is its very low accuracy due to the critically high flight of unguided rockets, which negatively affects the ability to hit targets, even despite the high power of ammunition.

The second TOS-1 problem is the range of fire of this system. It is stated that the effective range of the TOS-1А is approximately 6,000 meters. This is not enough for the conditions of modern war, so the crew is forced to enter the zone that can be hit by Ukrainian artillery.