Russian army moves TOS-1A heavy flamethrower systems to Kyiv

According to a video published on the Rob Lee Twitter account on February 27, 2022, a military column of the Russian army including tanks, wheeled armored and TOS Heavy Flamethrower System) was spotted near the town of Okhynky, on the highway between Kyiv and Sumy.
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TOS-1A Heavy Flamethrower System based on tracked tank chassis. (Picture source Vitaly Kuzmin)

Citing information from the Ukraine Crisis website, according to intelligence, preparations are being made for the deployment of Russian army units in the Belgorod region. The decision on urgent introduction of reserves is considered. The Russian forces continue to try to capture settlements in the Slobozhanskyi operational district, advancing from Belgorod to Starobilsk.

On Saturday 26, 2022, Army Recognition has reported that the Russian army moves TOS-1A heavy flamethrower system to the South of Belgorod, a city located 40 km north of the border of Ukraine. Now, the TOS are deployed in the Ukrainian territory.

Citing information published by the Independent website on February 27, 2022, among the Russian weapons that have been seen moving towards the capital, Kyiv, and other cities are TOS-1 thermobaric rocket launchers.

The TOS-1 is a Heavy Flamethrower System equipped with 24 220 mm 30-barrel. It is a multiple rocket launcher system and thermobaric weapon mounted on a T-72 tank tracked chassis. The thermobaric munitions release a large cloud of flammable gas and cause massive explosions. It is used to clear out buildings, bunkers, and other fortifications.

The thermobaric munitions are those munitions that, by design, produce more heat and overpressure than conventional explosives by exploding a vapor in the blast zone. Their medical effect is principally primary blast and they affect organs where there is a tissue interface of varying densities, such as the lungs, bowel, and inner ear. The damage manifests itself in the severity and onset of occurrence, depending on the distance from the blast and orientation of the victim.

The TOS-1A has a firing range from 400 m to 6,000 m. A full salvo will devastate an area of 200 x 400 meters, killing by overpressure, burns, and suffocation.

Video of a Russian military column reportedly near the town of Okhynky, on the highway between Kyiv and Sumy. There’s a TOS-1A thermobaric MLRS. https://t.co/buUKaCu1Li pic.twitter.com/J1Cd9oZGoQ

— Rob Lee (@RALee85) February 27, 2022