Ukrainian drones from the Achilles unit have destroyed two of Russia’s most prized thermobaric rocket launchers in the Kupiansk direction in eastern Ukraine. The powerful TOS-1A heavy flamethrower systems were caught and eliminated in a single operation.

Achilles drone regiment takes out two TOS-1A rocket systems near Kupiansk

On 29 September, the 429th separate Achilles drone regiment shared video footage confirming a precise strikes on two Russian TOS-1A “Sontsepyok” multiple rocket launchers in the Kupiansk sector.

The Achilles crews reported:

“We struck two expensive enemy multiple launch rocket systems — TOS-1A ‘Soncepyok’ — in the Kupiansk direction.”

They noted that the same Russian launchers are frequently used to bombard towns and break through Ukrainian defenses.

“Heavy flamethrower” TOS-A

The short-range thermobaric rocket systems are one of Russia’s most potent rocket artillery assets. Mounted on a T-72 or T-90 tank chassis, the TOS-1A launches salvos of 24 thermobaric munitions capable of saturating a 200-by-200-meter area.

Despite their destructive potential, these systems have a limited effective firing range of just 10 kilometers, making them especially vulnerable to Ukrainian drone and artillery strikes.

Ukraine’s defense forces have previously destroyed multiple TOS-1A systems, and several have been captured and reused by Ukrainian units over the course of the war.