Putin’s terrifying thermobaric rocket launchers capable of ‘exploding’ enemy’s lungs ‘seen heading towards Ukraine’

TERRIFYING ‘thermobaric’ rockets that can explode enemy troops’ lungs have been spotted heading to Ukraine. The TOS-1 Buratino rockets are some of the most deadly non-nuclear weapons that can be deployed on the modern battlefield. Twitter/@fpleitgenCNNA TOS-1 rocket launcher on the move near the border with Ukraine[/caption] Getty - ContributorThe weapon is nicknamed Buratino and is a tank-mounted fuel-air explosive[/caption] Not known, clear with picture deskThe burnt out remains of a Russian truck that was ambushed by the Ukrainians[/caption] TOS in Russian stands for “heavy flame thrower” but in truth, the TOS-1 launches a rocket carrying a fuel-air explosive (FAE), dubbed the “wall of napalm”. One of the fearsome launchers has been spotted being transported on the back of a lorry near Belgorod heading towards Ukraine. It comes as Western officials have expressed concern that Russia could deploy the devastating amid signs that its advance had been slower than planned in the face of stiff Ukrainian resistance. “My fear would be that if they don’t meet their timescale and objectives, they would be indiscriminate in their use of violence,” one official said. Defence and national security commentator Charlie Gao said: “The Buratino and Solntsepek are very useful weapons for a military that might be going into urban combat with little regard for collateral damage.” The deployment of the TOS-1 comes as Ukrainian forces have repulsed and initial Russian attempt to seize the capital Kyiv. Elsewhere, pictures show burnt out convoy of Russian trucks, marked with their ‘Z’ identification number, burnt out after coming under attack. The vehicles were seen near Kherson in the south of the country. Most read in The Sun 'FIGHTING BACK' 'Hundreds of Russians captured near Kyiv' as Putin fails to take capital WES YOUR WIFE? Ex-Man Utd ace Wes Brown secretly splits from reality TV star wife Leanne BUSTED! Frankie Bridge posts WhatsApp messages with husband Wayne as she catches him out KNOCK HIM OUT Putin’s a vile, snivelling bully - but who will stop him?, asks Piers Morgan HOSPITAL DASH Olly Murs rushed to hospital for emergency knee surgery as star cancels tour ‘HEROIC ACT’ Hero Ukrainian soldier 'blows himself up on bridge' to stop Russians crossing The bizarre-looking tanks feature a huge oblong-shaped rack on top, loaded with dozens of lethal incendiary or thermobaric rockets. Sources in Ukraine have previously shared videos of convoys of TOSs heading for the border. Sharing screengrabs from a TikTok video of the military convoy, PhD student at the Department of War Studies at King’s College London Rob Lee wrote: “Thermobaric troops on the move.” Originally created as a long-range alternative to the handheld flamethrower, the TOS-1 and TOS-1A are designed to kill or crush any soft target in their path. Read our Russia – Ukraine live blog for the very latest updates The Buratino – a Russian equivalent of Pinnochio – is unique to Russia’s military. The self-propelled multiple rocket launcher system (MRLS) has already deployed by Moscow’s generals in conflicts including Afghanistan, Chechnya, Iraq, and Syria. Similar to the enormous 240mm 2S4 self-propelled mortar, the TOS-1 is designed to obliterate heavily-fortified positions. Some of its destructive power was demonstrated in the Second Chechnyan War between 1999 and 2000 when the breakaway Russian province’s capital Grozny was razed to the ground. In one incident, a TOS-1 strike killed 37 civilians and wounded over 200 when a city block was razed to the ground. Latest in Ukraine… Shocking footage shows the moment a missile, believed to be Russian, slammed into an apartment block.Defiant Ukrainian soldiers are using UK missiles to fight off Putin’s invasionPutin is unleashing Chechen special forces squad known as the “hunters” as Russia prepares to use “father of all bombs”.Amid the chaos a young mother has given birth in a metro station in Kyiv.Russians protesting Putin’s violent invasion have scrawled graffiti comparing him to Nazi monster Adolf Hitler.Ukrainian troops managed to recapture a key airport after a botched helicopter assault by the RussiansRussia managed to capture Chernobyl power plant – sparking fears of a new nuclear disasterWestern sanctions are targeting Russian money as Boris Johnson branded Putin as a “bloodstained aggressor“ A small explosive inside the FAE munition will spread a chemical cloud through the air like a lethal deodorant spray. This gassy cloud can seep everywhere, into buildings and trenches, before a secondary explosive then ignites the cloud, causing a massive, long-lasting explosion. The fiery blast can kill and maim in truly horrific ways, rendering body armour or hard cover useless. Sebastian Roblin, a military expert, writing for 19fortyfive.com, said: “A TOS-1 rocket barrage will wipe out everything within the 200-by-300m blast zone.” Further from the blast zone, pressure can break bones, dislocate eyes, cause internal haemorrhaging, and rupture eardrums, bowels, and other internal organs. They can also suck the oxygen out of lungs, causing them to collapse, suffocating their victims to death. Twitter/@fpleitgenCNNFears have been raised the weapons are being deployed in the face of Ukrainian resistance[/caption] They have been deployed in Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Iraq A blast can incinerate an area 200 by 300m EPAThe TOS-1s destroyed much of the city of Grozny during the Second Chechnyan War[/caption] FAEs were first used by the United States in the Vietnam War when generals claimed napalm wasn’t destructive enough. While napalm weapons spread a sticky, flaming liquid over a wide area, FAEs cause the air itself to detonate. As well as in Vietnam, the US later deployed FAEs in the mountains of Tora Bora in eastern Afghanistan, as they tried to hunt down Osama bin Laden in the network of caves. The TOS-1’s prominent launch unit – like a long nose – earned it the nickname Pinocchio. They were spotted in a rebel training area in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine as early as 2015, while the Ukrainian government claims they were used in the aerial bombardment that destroyed Donetsk International Airport in January of that year. The TOS-1A “Solntsepek” (Sunshine), is an upgrade of the TOS-1 designed to use longer-range rockets which can hit targets up to 6km away. It also features more armour on the launcher.