A Russian thermobaric bomb wiped out the strength of two companies of the Ukrainian army, and this kind of ** showed great power on the battlefield.
According to recent reports, the Russian army used the TOS-1 series of thermobaric rocket launchers, which use the chassis of the T-72 main battle tank and are capable of firing 24 thermobaric rockets with a caliber of 220 mm in a row.
These rockets once performed well on the Syrian battlefield, but on the Ukrainian battlefield, due to their short range and the need to launch close to the positions of the Ukrainian army, there are certain limitations in their use.
The use of TOS-1 series thermobaric rocket launchers on the battlefield in Ukraine is not common, because they are easily destroyed by the heavy ** and anti-tank missiles of the Ukrainian army when launched, and once the rocket is destroyed and causes detonation, the crew has almost no chance of escaping.
In the battle for Avdiivka, the Russian army used thermobaric bombs to break through the Ukrainian army's defense line from the north and south, resulting in the siege of 3 brigades of the Ukrainian army.
The rapid progress of the Russian army here is mainly due to tactical changes, including the use of underground pipelines to covertly cross the outer positions of the Ukrainian army and quickly occupy key areas.
These tactical changes, combined with the use of thermobaric shells, allowed the Russian army to advance quickly on the battlefield.
In addition, Russia is also developing new thermobaric **, such as the TOS-3 "Dragon". This is an improved version of the previously developed TOS-1A and TOS-2 thermobaric bomb launchers, known for their destructive firepower.
The TOS-3 will use the tracked chassis of the T-72 or T-90 tanks, equipped with a trigger device borrowed from the TOS-2, which is known for its integrated ammunition loading system.
The development of these new systems marks the continuous evolution of the thermobaric** family, which seeks to combine the best features of its predecessor with new technological advancements3.
To sum up, Russian thermobaric bombs have indeed shown great power on the battlefield, but their use also faces certain challenges and limitations.
At the same time, Russia is constantly developing new thermobaric ** to increase its effectiveness on the battlefield.