Russia has released videos showcasing the devastating power of the TOS-1A Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) as they target locations in Ukraine. Explosions were reported near Novomykhailivka and Lyman, both situated in the Donetsk region of Donbas. The videos depict the massive shockwaves generated by thermobaric munitions, accompanied by multiple simultaneous explosions.
The TOS-1A is a variant of the TOS-1 system developed in the late Cold War era, designed to attack enemy fortifications as well as armored and transport vehicles in open terrain. The TOS-1 is a multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) featuring a BM-1 launcher with 30 tubes capable of firing 220 mm thermobaric warheads, mounted on the chassis of a T-72 tank. The TOS-1 system can fire all 30 rockets in just 15 seconds. The TOS-1A variant is similar to the TOS-1 but has 24 launch tubes, an improved range of up to 10 km, and upgraded ballistic computation capabilities.
TOS-1 is a multiple launch rocket system (MLRS)
TOS-1 Buratino was used by the Soviet Army during the Soviet-Afghan War from 1979 to 1989. The TOS-1A Solntsepyok variant first saw combat in Iraq, used by Iraqi forces during the campaign to reclaim the town of Jurf al-Sakhar from ISIL in October 2014.
What makes the TOS-1 frightening is its use of thermobaric rockets, also known as fuel-air explosive (FAE) warheads. This fuel-air mixture includes combustible fuels like black powder and common oxidizers such as ethylene oxide and propylene oxide. Upon detonation, it utilizes oxygen from the surrounding air to create an explosion with extremely high temperatures, resulting in a blast that is larger and lasts longer than conventional explosive warheads. Due to its property of consuming the surrounding air, the thermobaric warhead is also known as a “vacuum bomb,” creating a sudden change in pressure.
Thermobaric rockets have two separate explosive charges. When approaching the target, the first charge detonates, releasing fuel at a certain altitude, creating a large fuel cloud. The second charge then ignites this fuel cloud.
The first effect of thermobaric warheads is to generate high-pressure blast waves over an extended duration, creating a vacuum environment. The pressure rises rapidly, reaching up to 427 lb/in² (30 kg/cm2), which can tear apart soft materials like aircraft skins, radar surfaces, and human lung tissue. Instead of shielding, walls and internal surfaces in the affected area will reflect the blast waves, amplifying this tearing effect. The lethality to humans increases significantly in confined spaces such as bunkers, trenches, and shelters.
The second effect is extremely high temperatures, reaching 2500 – 3000 degrees Celsius, with superheated flames sustained over a wide area for an extended period. The mechanism that destroys living targets with thermobaric munitions involves the blast wave and vacuum effect, causing lungs of individuals in the affected area to rupture. If the fuel ignites but does not explode, victims may suffer severe burns and serious lung damage from inhaling hot gases and burning fuel. Those on the periphery of the impact zone may also experience internal injuries, ruptured eardrums, or blindness.
