Russia has delivered a new batch of upgraded TOS-1A Solntsepek heavy flamethrower systems as part of its ongoing effort to reinforce frontline fire-support units amid growing drone threats in Ukraine. The announcement was made on 13 November by Uralvagonzavod, which confirmed the systems are now equipped with a modern anti-UAV protection suite.
According to the manufacturer, the vehicles were dispatched only after completing extensive field trials validating the reliability of their updated components under demanding operational conditions. The added protection is designed to counter the expanding use of reconnaissance and attack drones, which have increasingly targeted high-value artillery and rocket platforms on the battlefield.
Mounted on a T-72 tank chassis, the TOS-1A launches short-range thermobaric rockets capable of saturating large areas with devastating overpressure. The system is routinely employed to neutralize fortified positions, disrupt concentrations of troops and armored vehicles, and strike UAV control hubs across multiple fronts.
Rostec emphasizes that ongoing modernization is driven directly by combat feedback. Engineers are already finalizing a new TOS variant based on the T-80 chassis, expected to deliver greater range, improved accuracy and greater automation.
The rollout of anti-drone-enhanced TOS-1A units indicates that Russia intends to maintain its strategy of delivering high-intensity, localized firepower against entrenched Ukrainian defenses. By investing simultaneously in firepower and survivability, Moscow signals its expectation that dense fortifications and widespread UAV use will remain defining elements of the conflict—and that its upgraded heavy flamethrower systems will continue to play a central role in its operations.
