The Russian Armed Forces have deployed their newest heavy flamethrower system, the TOS-3 «Drakon," in the combat zone in Ukraine. Polish outlet Interia, citing its defense columnist Filip Melcharek, describes the system’s appearance on the front line as an extremely troubling development for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to Melcharek, the TOS-3 uses thermobaric munitions designed to obliterate fortified positions. He argues that the mere presence of the system carries a powerful psychological impact, which explains why it is often likened to tactical nuclear weapons.

The journalist details the destructive mechanism behind the weapon. A thermobaric explosion rapidly consumes oxygen across a wide area, creating a sharp pressure drop and severe air depletion. The result is lethal for anyone within the blast zone. Temperatures at the epicenter can reach up to 3,000 degrees Celsius, and the injuries inflicted by such strikes leave virtually no chance of survival. In his assessment, there are currently no effective protective measures against the TOS-3.

Melcharek notes that, for now, the only viable countermeasure appears to be the use of FPV drones to neutralize the «Drakon» before it can unleash its thermobaric strike.

The development of the TOS-3 reportedly incorporated lessons learned over the past four years of armed conflict. The system is mounted on a T-80 tank chassis and surpasses its predecessors — the «Buratino» and «Solntsepek» — in range, which now exceeds 25 kilometers.

A defining feature of thermobaric munitions is the formation of a fuel cloud that, once ignited, turns enclosed spaces such as bunkers or trenches into zones of intensified destruction due to the vacuum explosion effect.