No more a nightmare? Ukraine destroys deadly TOS-2 Tosochka thermobaric rocket launcher for first time

A TOS-2 Tosochka, a Russian heavy flamethrower system and multiple rocket launcher, designed to attack enemy-fortified positions, lightly armoured vehicles and transports, was destroyed by the Ukrainian forces in the Pokrovsk region, for the first time.

Citing a few pictures on X, multiple media reports said the wheeled advanced multiple-launch rocket system, which entered into service in 2021, was destroyed on February 14. The weapon with which Urkain destroyed the rocket launcher is yet to be known.

It has been suggested that fibre-optic FPV drones may have caused the destruction although there were reports that said the system featured an anti-drone cage over its launcher to counter the possibility of Ukraine targetting it with loitering munitions and drones.

A successor to the tracked TOS-1 and TOS-1A thermobaric multiple rocket launchers, the advanced variant, equipped with 18 launch tubes, an automated targetting system, and a reported firing range of 20km, has increased mobility and reduced logistical requirements.

There have been reports of Russia deploying TOS-2 Tosochka against Ukraine by May 2022.

Later, the weapon system was spotted in Kreminna, Luhansk Oblast in 2023 and 2024. Russia had claimed that the weapon had effectively targetted fortified enemy positions.

TOS-2, which carries 220mm MO.1.01.04 series thermobaric rockets, has been designed to operate beyond the range of modern anti-tank guided missiles and is capable of burning targets with a massive, high-temperature explosion. It is part of Russia’s Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical (NBC) Protection troops.

A report in the National Interest early last year had called TOS-1A a "horrific nightmare weapon." According to Russian military officials, the advanced variant has undergone continuous improvements, including extended range and additional protective features, making it a deadly weapon.