• A new video shows a Ukrainian drone hitting a Russian thermobaric rocket launcher.
  • The collision causes a massive explosion as the rockets explode.
  • The TOS-1 is a blunt force instrument for pounding fortified defenses and armored vehicles. 

A new video shows the moment a Ukrainian drone flies into a Russian thermobaric rocket launcher, causing a massive explosion as the individual rockets combust.

The video, shared by OSINTtechnical, an open source intelligence account run by Center for Naval Analyses analyst Oliver Alexander, shows the strike and its aftermath.

In the video, the Ukrainian first-person view loitering drone flies near the Russian TOS-1 multiple rocket launcher system, which is driving down a dirt road in Zaitseve, a settlement just south of war-torn Bakhmut.

The drone flips around and flies straight towards the TOS-1, slamming into it before losing connection.

The next part of the video shows the consequence: the TOS-1's payload — it can carry up to 24 220mm rockets with thermobaric or incendiary warheads — explodes, creating a giant display of fire and smoke.

And the aftermath, seen by an FPV drone, shows the fried TOS-1 on the road.

Russian TOS-1A multiple rocket launchers drive during the Victory Day Parade in Red Square in Moscow, Russia, June 24, 2020. Foto: Host photo agency/Ramil Sitdikov via REUTERS

It's not the first time Ukraine has touted the destruction of a TOS-1 rocket launcher. Back in February, Kyiv shared a video of an reported destruction of a Russian thermobaric rocket launcher in the Donetsk region of Ukraine.

The Soviet TOS-1 model was originally developed in the early 1980s, typically used to overwhelm fortified positions and armored vehicles with salvoes of powerful rockets. Its barrel can hold 24 missiles, making it a feared and powerful asset.

The thermobaric weapons — sometimes referred to as vacuum bombs — it fires are known for their two-stage detonation. First, they disperse a cloud of fuel into the air before detonating, creating an intense blast wave.

They can cause mass devastation, particularly because of their potential for indiscriminate use and widespread casualties.

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