Footage from inside of Russia appears to show a thermobaric rocket launcher being deployed towards the Ukrainian border, according to The Guardian.
The russian army has deployed the TOS-1 heavy flamethrower which shoots thermobaric rockets, the was South of Belgorod. pic.twitter.com/XCxMI3bNB3
— Frederik Pleitgen (@fpleitgenCNN) February 26, 2022
The video, shared on Twitter by CNN correspondent Frederik Pleitgen, displays a TOS-1 heavy flamethrower, which can shoot thermobaric rockets mounted on a T-72 tank chassis.
The footage was captured south of Belgorod, Pleitgen said, which is about 45 miles away from Kharkiv, Ukraine.
The TOS-1 was first used during the Soviet war in Afghanistan, The Guardian said, and was also deployed in Chechnya and the Syrian civil war.
It can launch two types of warheads — incendiary and fuel-air explosives. The latter, also called vacuum or thermobaric rockets, work by using oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion.
The weapons system is extremely effective against entrenched personnel. The TOS-1A is used to clear out buildings, field fortifications and bunkers, according to Military-Today.com.
They are considerably more destructive than conventional explosives.
According to i News, thermobaric weapons can vaporize human bodies and crush internal organs.
Western officials first publicly expressed concern that Russian President Vladimir Putin might use thermobaric bombs to seize control of Ukraine on Friday, HuffPost reported.
“My fear would be that if they don’t meet the timescales and objectives, they would be indiscriminate in the use of violence,” one Western official said, per i News. “They don’t adhere to the same principles of necessity and proportionality and the rule of law that Western forces do.”
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Putin must have gone completely mad by now,
by launching an attack against Ukraine, and by threaten other countries if they intervene in Russias attempt to annex Ukraine!
Putin could literally start World War III
Putin Russia and Xi China (CCP) have Beijing Joe in their Back Pocket. Beijing Joe isn’t Smart enough to come in out of the RAIN. U can’t expect any more than that from a PARASITE
Putin is a Sick Monster that doesn’t care about anyone& he wants to start World War3. He is Evil!!!!! So many people are going to be hurt and/ or killed because of him!!! All he wants is power!!!!