On May 20, Russia’s Izvestia released a video report showing an attack with incendiary rockets on Kiev forces in the Donbass region.
The rockets, which were launched from a BM-21 Grad 122 mm multiple rocket launcher (MRL), targeted positions of Kiev forces near the town of Zolote. The rocket strike was coordinated with a drone, which was likely used to uncover the positions.
The Grad MRL car fire two types of incendiary rockets, the 9M22S and the 9M28S. The 9M22S is armed with 66 kilograms of incendiary elements with a range of more than 19 kilometers, while the 9M28S is armed with 53 kilograms of incendiary elements with a range of 15 kilometers only.
The incendiary elements in both rockets consist of magnesium cups filled with a thermite-type mixture and packed in a matrix. Each element has a burning time of at least two minutes. The elements can reach very high temperatures.
Incendiary rockets like the 9M22S and the 9M28S were mainly designed to be used against unfortified positions, large gatherings of personnel and equipment and flammable targets.
The Russian military has been using incendiary weapons against Kiev forces on a limited scale since the beginning of its special operation in Ukraine. These weapons have been reportedly used only against military targets that are isolated from urban areas.