Thermobaric Threat: Russia Poised to Deploy Devastating Weapons in Pokrovsk

In the past 24 hours, 172 clashes between Ukrainian forces and Russian occupiers were recorded along the front, with the majority of Russian attacks concentrated in the Pokrovsk direction.

In the Pokrovsk direction, the defenders repelled 57 assault attempts by the aggressor in the areas of Popiv Yar, Mayak, Novoekonomichne, Razine, Lysivka, Chunyshyne, Zvirovo, Kotlyne, Udachne, Novomykolaivka, Horikhove, Zeleny Kut, and Dachne.

The Russian army has redeployed approximately 110,000, and according to other estimates up to 120,000, of its operational reserves to this area. This group is among the most combat-ready units in the Russian army.

In the Pokrovsk direction, the enemy continues artillery shelling of settlements to cause fire damage to units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and residential areas of cities.

After intensifying shelling with available firepower, the Russian occupiers attempted an offensive toward Pokrovsk. They were unsuccessful and suffered losses.

According to local sources from the analytical department of the GI “Prava Sprava,” the Russian occupiers have redeployed thermobaric weapons along this section of the front, specifically the TOS-1A “Solntsepek” heavy flamethrower system.

This weapon is indiscriminate in its effects, endangering not only the lives of Ukrainian servicemen but also, regrettably, civilians. According to the latest data, approximately 1,413 civilians remain in the city of Pokrovsk, with 2,809 people residing within the community. Evacuation efforts from the city are ongoing, but have become increasingly perilous due to intense shelling by Russian forces targeting Ukrainian civilians.

The effects of a thermobaric bomb (TBB) explosion on a person include a shock wave causing contusions, ruptured eardrums, nosebleeds, varying degrees of lung barotrauma—often accompanied by hemorrhages in the lungs—and bone fractures. The clinical picture is further complicated by extensive burns of varying severity and thermal shock. There have been recorded cases where the lungs were completely burned from the inside.

The earliest reports of thermobaric weapons being used by members of illegal armed formations in the temporarily occupied territories of the Luhansk region date back to August 2014.

On August 12, 2014, the analytical department of “Pravaya Sprava” published information that militants possessed three TOS-1 “Buratino” installations, reportedly aimed at the Luhansk airport. Notably, this information was promptly disseminated by Russian media.
The following information regarding the presence of TOS-1 in the occupied territories of the Luhansk region appeared in 2015.

At that time, “Prava sprava” reported that the Victory Parade would be used as cover for the redeployment towards Stanytsia Luhanska. It was about 152-mm self-propelled howitzers “Msta” and TOS-1 “Buratino” systems.

On October 2, 2015, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Monitoring Mission to Ukraine, Alexander Hug, reported that the monitors saw a TOS-1 “Buratino” heavy flamethrower system at a training ground near the village of Kruhlyk.

On January 11, 2021, the Russian Federation commenced military exercises near the borders with Ukraine. According to “Prava Sprava,” for the first time in many years, TOS-1 “Buratino” flamethrower systems and their modernized variants, the TOS-1A “Solntsepiok,” were deployed during these exercises near Ukraine’s borders.

Subsequently, the Russian side was compelled to confirm this information originally reported by “Prava Sprava.”

On March 10, 2022, Ukrainian media reported that the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the use of heavy flamethrower systems (TOS-1A), which deploy thermobaric missiles, in Ukraine. This information was shared by the State Special Communications Service on its Telegram channel, citing British intelligence data.

It is important to note that the possible deployment of TOS systems by Russian forces in Pokrovsk aims to inflict excessive damage on the city’s critical and civilian infrastructure.

Overall, Pokrovsk has suffered significant destruction, with critical and social infrastructure damaged or destroyed, particularly in areas at the city’s entrances.

It should be emphasized that the use of thermobaric weapons against military targets is impermissible if it endangers the civilian population.

Furthermore, the occupiers’ tactics of terror and shelling of residential areas serve as a form of military-political pressure on civilians, fostering an atmosphere of fear and distrust towards the central government’s actions.

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