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Four FPV drones = no more “Scorching Sun”.
Editor’s note: In a previus version, the TOS-1A was described as being called “Sun Melter”. This was an incorrect translation of the word Solntsepiok. It has now been changed to the more correct translation “Scorching Sun”.
The Russian TOS-1A Solntsepiok missile system is considered one of the most destructive systems in Russia’s arsenal, designed to fire thermobaric rockets against fortified positions and personnel.
Such weapons are known for causing extensive blast damage and severe human consequences, particularly in confined areas.
Ukrainian military sources estimate the cost of a single Solntsepiok system at around $10 million.
So it’s safe to say, that the Russians wants to keep the “Scorching Suns”, as the TOS-1A is called, safe – but Ukraine seems to have found a whole in the Russian portection.
A first inside Russia
According to the Bulava unmanned systems battalion of Ukraine’s 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, Ukrainian forces destroyed a Russian TOS-1A Solntsepiok heavy missile system on Russian territory.
The battalion said the strike took place in Russia’s Belgorod region and marked the first confirmed destruction of this weapons system inside Russia since the start of the invasion.
In a statement accompanying the footage, Ukrainian military representatives described the operation as unique and said the war “is returning to where it was brought from.”
The reports have not been independently verified, and the Kremlin has not yet reacted to the claims.
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Drone strike details
Video released by the Bulava battalion shows first-person-view drones striking the target multiple times from above.
After four precise hits, the footage captures a large secondary explosion, which Ukrainian forces say was caused by the detonation of onboard ammunition.
The battalion said the attack demonstrated the growing effectiveness of Ukrainian drone units against high-value Russian military assets positioned close to the border.
Sources: Posts on X, statement from Ukraine’s 72nd Separate Mechanized BrigadeUkraine’s 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, Weapons Parade, Army Technology
