A video of thermobaric rockets being launched in a shocking Russian propaganda video is making the rounds online.
Thermobaric rockets, also known as vacuum bombs, are powerful weapons capable of vaporising human organs.
The video has been widely shared on semi-official Russian Telegram channels, though it is unclear if it was taken after Russia's invasion of Ukraine war, the Mirror reports.
In the clip, soldiers load the lengthy missiles into a launcher to the background of alarmingly perky music.
Soldiers are captured readying the explosives atop a military vehicle along the edge of a field.
Once launched, they cut an arc through clear skies at speed before smashing spectacularly into the ground, giving rise to a large cloud of thick smoke.
Separate videos circulating on social media appear to show the aftermath of the TOS-1A Solntsepek 24-barrel multiple rocket launcher, which ignites the surrounding area when it is fired.
It has been claimed the launcher was spotted in the vicinity of Mariupol, although this has not been confirmed.
Moscow defence sources claimed: "The TOS-1A Solntsepek was used against Ukrainian nationalists by the people's militia of the Donetsk People’s Republic with the support of the Russian army during a special operation in Ukraine."
While the Solntsepek can fire a range of weapons, it is closely associated with the use of thermobaric missiles, which the Russian military boasted of using ten days ago.
The missiles are seen as one of the deadliest on the modern-day battlefield, so much so its use is strictly regulated.
The Russian missiles explode at a much higher temperature than most, and their blasts last longer than conventional weapons.
The heat they produce can cause massive damage to internal organs and cause flash burns.
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."
The UK's Ministry of Defence confirmed that previous footage had shown Moscow was using the TOS-1A against Ukraine.
The defence organisation said if Vladimir Putin was to use the weapon against civilians he would've broken war laws.
"The Russian MoD has confirmed the use of the TOS-1A weapon system in Ukraine. The TOS-1A uses thermobaric rockets, creating incendiary and blast effects," the MoD tweeted towards the start of the conflict.
If claims that Russia has used thermobaric missiles again are confirmed, then it will fit into a pattern of escalating aggression and more extreme military measures seen this weekend.
Russian ships in the Black Sea and Caspian Sea have launched cruise missile strikes on Ukraine and fired hypersonic missiles from Crimean airspace today and yesterday.
One of the strikes destroyed a large fuel storage facility in the Nikolaev region in southern Ukraine, while another damaged a workshop used to repair damaged armoured vehicles.
Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that hypersonic Kinzhal (Dagger) missiles were also fired from the airspace of Crimea, the peninsula Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
Russia also hit a Ukrainian military preparation centre where foreign fighters joining Kyiv's forces were based.
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