Daniel Wolfram
Russia had only 45 of them before the war, but relentless drone strikes from Ukraine keep destroying rushed replacements.
Russian forces have lost 138 of their prized thermobaric rocket launchers in Ukraine, according to reporting by Defense Express, citing Ukrainian military records.
The staggering tally covers the entire TOS family, including the infamous TOS-1A Solntsepyok and newer models.
The destruction of these rocket launchers eclipses what experts thought Russia owned before the full-scale invasion.
Destroyed flamethrowers
Before 2022, outside analysts estimated the Kremlin had just 45 of these systems in total. Losing triple that entire fleet would normally force any military to pull back. Moscow did the opposite.
According to pro-Ukrainian news outlet United24 Media, Russian state media reported in May 2024 that domestic factories had ramped up production. Crews rushed out the wheeled TOS-2 Tosochka, and military bosses soon unveiled the tracked TOS-3 Drakon to replenish the front lines.
Unlike standard artillery, these systems fire fuel-air explosives that suck up surrounding oxygen to produce incinerating heat and crushing pressure waves. Russian commanders rely on them to level hardened bunkers and defensive trenches.
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Target practice for Ukrainian drones
Yet that heavy firepower also brings a glaring weakness. Because the heavy rockets can only fly short distances, launch vehicles must get up close to frontline fighting. That proximity puts them directly in the sights of waiting Ukrainian reconnaissance drones.
A strike this week highlighted that vulnerability. Operators from Ukraine’s 413th Raid Regiment tracked down a hidden TOS-1A launcher in occupied Donetsk, destroying the vehicle inside its shelter with a drone.
Russian designers tried to fix the issue. In late 2023, Moscow announced the modular Vozrozhdeniye system, built to fire longer-range rockets and keep crews away from danger. Serial production was slated for late 2024, but Defense Express noted that none have appeared in combat, likely due to persistent survivability doubts.
