Russia deploys new TOS-3 Drakon thermobaric rocket system in Ukraine against fortified positions.

On February 4, 2026, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a second official footage showing the TOS-3 Drakon heavy flamethrower system conducting combat operations in Ukraine.

On February 4, 2026, the Russian Ministry of Defense released official footage showing the TOS-3 Drakon heavy flamethrower system conducting combat operations in Ukraine. The ministry identified the crew as belonging to the 29th Separate Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense Brigade of the Center Group of Forces and stated that the system destroyed a Ukrainian stronghold in the Krasnoarmeysk direction.
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The TOS-3 launcher pod is fitted with protective mesh screening, like the TOS-2, Volnorez electronic warfare systems, and possibly a digital fire control and communications equipment to support extended engagement distances. (Picture source: Russian MoD)

The TOS (Russian acronym for “Tyazhyolaya Ognemyotnaya Sistema,” meaning “Heavy Flamethrower System”) designates a family of 220 mm thermobaric rocket launchers used by Russia, which began with the Soviet-era TOS-1 Buratino, developed between 1971 and 1979 to attack fortified positions and light armour. The TOS-1 was introduced in 1988 and was mounted on a tracked T-72 tank chassis, with 30 launch tubes in its original configuration and a crew of three; it carried thermobaric warheads for area blast effects. The launcher’s rockets had a 0.5 km to 3 km range in early models, and the vehicle weighed about 45.3 tonnes, had an 840 hp diesel engine, a maximum road speed of 60 km/h, and a range of 550 km without auxiliary tanks. The TOS-1 was deployed by the Russian NBC Protection Troops rather than conventional artillery units, and initial combat tests took place in 1988-1989 in the Panjshir Valley during the Soviet-Afghan war.

The TOS-1A Solntsepyok, developed as the modernized variant of the original system, entered Russian service in 2001 with a reduced 24-tube launcher arranged in three rows of eight, mounted on a T-72, T-80, or T-90 tank chassis with characteristics similar to those of the TOS-1. The TOS-1A’s 220 mm rockets had a firing range of up to 6 000 m using the MO.1.01.04M rocket and up to 10 000 m with the MO.1.01.04M2 upgrade, and the launcher could fire multiple rockets in rapid succession. The vehicle’s design included a reinforced hull for crew protection, a fire-control system with a ballistic computer, observation equipment and a laser rangefinder, and smoke-grenade launchers for obscuration; it operated alongside main battle tanks and infantry. The TOS-1A has been used in multiple conflicts, including the Russo-Ukrainian war, and variants have been produced for export to other countries.

Return of combat experience later resulted in the development of the TOS-2 Tosochka in 2018, which shifted from a tank base to a wheeled 6x6 UralAZ-63704-0010 truck chassis, with production starting in 2021. The TOS-2 carries 18 220 mm rockets and is equipped with an integrated loading crane, updated fire-control systems, satellite navigation and communication equipment, and the TBS-M3 rocket with a stated range of at least 10 km and, in some references, reaching 20 km; it also retains thermobaric warhead employment. The wheeled chassis provided higher road speed and longer operational range compared with tracked predecessors, and the system was first publicly displayed in 2020 and entered service in early 2021; it has been observed deployed in Ukraine.

The TOS-3, often referred to as “Dragon” or Drakon, represents a further evolutionary step, combining features from earlier variants with enhanced missile range ambitions and additional defensive systems. The first public indication of the TOS-3's existence emerged in mid-January 2024 when Omsktransmash applied to register the “TOS-3 Drakon” trademark and logo (a tracked chassis with a 15-tube launcher arranged in three rows of five), securing rights in early February 2024 across categories including military vehicles and artillery systems. On April 8, 2024, Bekhan Ozdoev of Rostec confirmed that the project had progressed beyond development and that a prototype had been constructed, specifying the use of a tracked chassis and a new launcher for increased-range ammunition. Then, in June 2024, the TOS-3 ‘Dragon’ was publicly unveiled during an official event in Russia’s southwest Saratov region. In November 22, 2025, the first combat footage of the TOS-3 in Ukraine appeared, already linked to the 29th Separate NBC Protection Brigade.

Available information indicates that the TOS-3 uses a tracked armored chassis similar to the TOS-1A (speculation focuses on possible use of T-72 or T-80 chassis) but with a lighter launcher unit carrying 15 220 mm rockets, which allows each rocket to carry increased propellant for enhanced range. A fully loaded TOS-1A weighs 46 tonnes with 24 rockets, and there are indications that designers may target 40 to 42 tonnes for the TOS-3 in combat configuration to improve mobility and survivability. The launcher pod on TOS-3 is fitted with protective mesh screening, like the TOS-2, Volnorez electronic warfare systems, and possibly a digital fire control and communications equipment to support extended engagement distances. These measures were likely adopted after FPV drone-related losses of TOS systems in Ukraine.

Range progression across the TOS family shows incremental increases. The original TOS-1 rocket had a minimum effective range of about 0.5 km and a maximum of about 3 km, later extended by MO.1.01.04M rockets to about 6 km and by MO.1.01.04M2 to around 10 km for TOS-1A. The TBS-M3 rocket, introduced with the TOS-2, has a stated range of at least 10 to 12 km, while some references cite engagement distances up to 20 km depending on configuration; these rockets are longer and heavier to achieve greater range. Early reports on TOS-3 estimate its new or improved 220 mm rockets can engage targets at 15 km or beyond (some higher estimates reaching 18 km or 24 km), although formal official figures remain unpublished; the smaller number of tubes on TOS-3 suggests a larger rocket size with increased propellant capacity to achieve such extended flight.

Thermobaric munitions used by the TOS systems function by dispersing an aerosol cloud of fine fuel particles in the target area and then igniting it, producing a high-temperature, high-pressure blast wave and a sustained overpressure effect that relies on atmospheric oxygen to amplify blast duration and effect. Thermobaric warheads are also designed to generate sustained pressure and heat over wider areas than conventional condensed explosives of similar mass, to increase the damage done to fortifications, enclosed structures, light armored vehicles, and personnel through shockwave and oxygen depletion. Earlier operational procedures required crews to approach within line of sight, determine range using a laser rangefinder, calculate elevation through a ballistic computer, and fire salvos from short distances, while later variants incorporated digital fire control upgrades and integration with reconnaissance drones to reduce reaction time.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.