Kathrine Frich
New video circulating online has cast doubt on a Russian experimental weapons system promoted as a battlefield innovation.
Military analysts say the footage highlights serious design problems rather than a technological breakthrough.
The system, known as the Malvina-M, appears to struggle with stability, accuracy and control.
A modified platform
Russia has developed the Malvina-M as a ground-based robotic weapon equipped with a disposable missile module.
The lightweight platform has been fitted with two launch rails taken from the TOS-1A “Solntsepyok”, a heavy flamethrower system normally mounted on a tank chassis.
The TOS-1A fires thermobaric rockets and has an effective range of about 4.5 to 6 kilometres.
Because of this short range, the system has increasingly been targeted by Ukrainian artillery and drones.
The Malvina-M was designed to move closer to Ukrainian positions and fire at short range without risking a crew.
Heavy payload
Russian engineers armed the platform with two 220-millimetre MO.1.01.04M thermobaric missiles.
Each projectile weighs around 213 kilograms, limiting the system to just two launch rails.
The rails and the platform’s body were fitted with metal shielding to protect the vehicle from the intense flames and hot gases produced during launch.
Analysts note that the reduced number of missiles is a major departure from the original Solntsepyok, which carries 24 rockets.
Problems on display
Footage released on Telegram shows the Malvina-M recoiling violently after firing its first missile.
Despite stabilising supports, the platform visibly rotates under the force of the launch.
Defense Express analysts say this instability could cause major targeting issues. In a two-missile salvo, they warn, the first rocket may land near the intended target while the second could veer off in a completely different direction.
This behaviour has led experts to question claims about the system’s combat effectiveness.
Accuracy concerns
Another major weakness highlighted by analysts is guidance.
The TOS-1A relies on a ballistic computer and laser rangefinder to improve accuracy. The Malvina-M lacks these systems.
Previous training footage has shown that the thermobaric missiles themselves suffer from wide dispersion, potentially missing targets by hundreds of metres.
While thermobaric warheads can cause damage even with limited precision, experts argue that firing only two rockets cannot compensate for such large aiming errors.
As a result, analysts say the Malvina-M looks more like a risky improvisation than a reliable battlefield solution.
Sources: Defense Express, Telegram footage, Wirtualna Polska
