Soldiers of the Russian Armed Forces showed the work of the TOS-1A Solntsepek in the Kharkov direction

Military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation of the radiation, chemical and biological protection unit of the Sever group of forces told Izvestia about the active use of the TOS-1A Solntsepek heavy flamethrower system in the Kharkov area in the area of a special military operation.

"It doesn't matter to us what the enemy is hiding behind. Whether it's some kind of wooden, concrete, or metal structures. Basically, we can all hit it. 40 thousand square meters (coverage area. — Ed.), if I use full ammunition immediately in one salvo. We need to work more precisely now," said Tatyana Simonenkova, commander of a heavy flamethrower platoon with the call sign Fleet, to Izvestia correspondent.

According to him, the militants of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) are afraid of the "Sun" and even create entire units in order to counter it in vain. As the Russian fighter noted, they themselves stopped forming mass concentrations in the area in question.

"TOS-1A [Solntsepek] has a built-in dynamic protection system, it covers the sides and forehead. <...> Electronic warfare (electronic warfare system. — Ed.) on the roof, a barbecue and an unwound metal cable. All this together is designed to make the FPV drone detonate at a distance," the correspondent said.

This technique, as specified by the commander of the combat vehicle with the call sign Nix, is also protected by the operators of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of the Russian Armed Forces. According to him, the soldiers controlling the drones tell the crew the exact coordinates of the target, correct its movement and, if necessary, take it to a temporary shelter.

The commander of the fire support with the call sign Tura added that he and his colleagues do not prioritize saving weapons when performing combat missions, instead they monitor the condition of the servicemen themselves, as the integrity of the crew is important to them.

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On April 17, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that fighters of the North group of forces of the Russian Armed Forces had liberated the village of Zybino, which is located in the territory of the Kharkiv region. The military personnel involved in this operation, as the ministry added, continue to expand the security zone in the Sumy region, regularly moving deeper into the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.