Ukrainian drone eliminates "weapon from hell," causing explosive chain reaction

The pilot of a Ukrainian FPV drone noticed the terrifying TOS-1A system, which immediately became a priority target. It appears that the launcher was fully loaded and en route to a firing position, as the hit caused a powerful explosion, destroying everything in the vicinity. Here, we present the performance of the TOS-1A system.

A Ukrainian FPV drone pilot serving in the 59th Motorized Infantry Brigade managed to destroy a powerful Russian TOS-1A system, often called "a weapon from hell," before it could cause agonizing deaths of Ukrainian soldiers. As seen in the video below, the hit by the drone on the launcher ignited one or several rockets, triggering a chain reaction resulting in a powerful explosion.

Before the war, the Russians had around 50 systems, of which they had lost at least 28 based on photos or videos from attacks. However, seeing the effectiveness of this weapon, the Russians resumed and then increased their production, which most likely helped recover some of the losses.

The TOS-1A systems, which Russia incorporated into its arsenal during the intervention in Afghanistan, are particularly effective in dealing with enemies hiding in fortifications or urban buildings using thermobaric charges.

The central element of this system is a launcher housing 24 unguided rockets with a calibre of 220 millimetres (8.66 inches) mounted on a T-72 tank chassis. Each rocket contains as much as 45 kilograms (99 pounds) of thermobaric material, making their destructive force immense and protection against them extremely difficult.

Thermobaric charges differ from conventional ones in that they do not contain oxygen in their structure, allowing for more active substances at the same mass compared to classic explosives. Oxygen is still needed for combustion, which is drawn from the atmosphere in the case of thermobaric charges. This also causes a vacuum to form at the site of the explosion.

This leads to fatal consequences because, apart from the standard shock wave spreading outward, there is also a rebound wave caused by the vacuum. The pressure differences cause pressure jumps on the order of thousands of kilopascals (thousands of psi), which can damage even airplane hulls and, more so, soft tissues like lungs.

These are simply destroyed, but the brain, which is very well protected by the skull, keeps working, making death caused by thermobaric weapons exceptionally painful. In addition to pressure jumps and oxygen depletion, there is an increase in temperature to about 3,000 degrees Celsius (5,432°F), leading to the vapourization of all life at the epicentre of the explosion.

Thus, thermobaric weapons are sometimes called the "poor man's nuclear weapon" because the scale of destruction is comparable, without radiation and with a very limited range. Their lethal effects are particularly intense in confined spaces where shock waves can resonate.

The explosion of thermobaric warheads occurs in two stages: first, the thermobaric charge is dispersed as an aerosol, and then a delayed fuse initiates the ignition of the formed mixture.

An advantage for the Ukrainians is that the TOS-1A systems have a limited maximum range of 7 kilometres (4 miles), and their accuracy leaves much to be desired due to the use of unguided rockets. The short range and difficult-to-conceal silhouette make the TOS-1A systems an easy target for drones or anti-tank missiles like Stugna-P or Brimstone.