New weapon commissioned by Ukrainian army is a major infantry reinforcement — Defense Express

Valerii Riabykh, a military expert and development director at Defense Express, noted that Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has authorized the Ukrainian Armed Forces to use a new, more powerful rocket-propelled infantry flamethrower, surpassing the current RPV-1He shared the information on Espreso TV.

"It should be noted that an infantry flamethrower has now been officially codified and approved for use by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Although its name is not specified, its technical specifications are similar to those of the RPV-16, with some differences, suggesting that it is an improved version of the flamethrower introduced in 2018. This is a formidable weapon that can significantly enhance the capabilities of our infantry. It is employed by specialized CBR (chemical, biological, and radiological) defense units, where it is considered a standard issue," explained Valerii Riabykh.

According to him, the improved version of the flamethrower is a powerful weapon capable of destroying the enemy forces at ranges of approximately 600 meters without optics, and even longer distances when optics are used.

"By and large, this flamethrower is a very destructive weapon, especially when used in urban areas or, for example, in special conditions when the enemy is concentrated in some hollows or shelters. This is due to the principle of operation of such weapons, which is called vacuum or thermobaric. The principle of operation is that a projectile throws an explosive mixture at a certain distance, which is sprayed and mixed with air, and then detonated in a tenth of a second. The area of total destruction can reach about 2,500 square meters, and within a radius of about 50 km, it can cause irreparable damage to personnel. This flamethrower can significantly strengthen our units," noted the military expert.

Riabykh added that this is a domestic weapon that, after codification, can be purchased and supplied to the Ukrainian army. Also, being codified according to NATO standards, these flamethrowers can be purchased by foreign consumers.

• On July 31, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's press service reported that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Ministry of Defense has authorized nearly 20 samples of grenade launchers from 6 manufacturing countries for use in the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
• On August 2, Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense codified and authorized the use of the Dzhura armored vehicle in the Ukrainian army.