In the Pokrovsk direction, the Ukrainian defenders stopped 57 assault actions of the aggressor in the areas of the settlements of Popiv Yar, Mayak, Novoekonomichne, Razine, Lysivka, Chunyshyne, Zvirove, Kotlyne, Udachne, Novomykolaivka, Gorikhove, Zeleny Kut and Dachne.The Russian army has redeployed approximately 110,000 troops, and according to other estimates up to 120,000 of its operational reserves to this direction. This group is one of the most combat-ready in the Russian army.In the Pokrovsk direction, the Russian army continues artillery shelling of settlements with the aim of inflicting fire damage on units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and residential areas of cities.Intensifying the shelling with available fire weapons, the occupying Russian forces tried to develop an offensive in the direction of Pokrovsk. They were unsuccessful, and suffered losses.According to local sources of the analytical department of the Prava Sprava NGO, the Russian occupiers have redeployed thermobaric weapons on this section of the front. In particular, the TOS-1A Solntsepek heavy flamethrower system.This is an indiscriminate weapon, and not only the lives of Ukrainian servicemen, but also, unfortunately, civilians are under threat. According to the latest data, about 1,413 civilians remain in the city of Pokrovsk, and 2,809 people within the community. The evacuation from the city continues, but is becoming increasingly dangerous due to the intensive shelling of Ukrainian civilians by Russian troops.The effect of a thermobaric explosion on a person: the shock wave causes contusion, rupture of the eardrums, nosebleeds, barotrauma of the lungs of varying degrees, often with hemorrhages in the lungs, and bone fractures. The clinical picture is complicated by extensive burns of varying degrees and thermal shock. Cases have been recorded when the lungs were completely burned out from the inside.The first mentions of the presence of thermobaric weapons in service with members of illegal armed formations in the temporarily occupied territories of Luhansk region date back to August 2014.On August 12, 2014, the analytical department of Prava Sprava published information that the militants had three TOS-1 Buratino installations, which will be aimed at the Luhansk airport. It is worth noting that this information was immediately published by the Russian media.The next information about the presence of TOS-1 in the occupied territories of the Luhansk region appears in 2015.At that time, Prava Sprava reported that the Victory Parade would be used as a cover for redeployment in the direction of Stanytsia Luhanska. It was about 152-mm self-propelled howitzers Msta and TOS-1 Buratino systems.On October 2, 2015, the Deputy Head of the OSCE Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Alexander Hug, reported that the observers saw a heavy flamethrower system TOS-1 Buratino at a training ground near the village of Kruhlyk.On January 11, 2021, the Russian Federation began military exercises near the borders with Ukraine. According to Prava Sprava, for the first time in a long time, TOS-1 Buratino flamethrower systems and their modernized versions TOS-1A Solntsepek were involved in these exercises near the borders with Ukraine.The Russian side was later forced to confirm this information.On March 10, 2022, Ukrainian media reported that the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that it was using heavy flamethrower systems (TOS-1A) in Ukraine, which use thermobaric missiles. The State Special Communications Service reported this on its Telegram channel, citing British intelligence data.It is worth noting that the possible use of thermobaric bombs by the Russian occupiers in Pokrovsk is intended to cause excessive damage to the city's critical and civilian infrastructure.In general, Pokrovsk is experiencing significant destruction, critical and social infrastructure is damaged or destroyed, especially in areas at the entrance to the city.It is worth noting that the use of thermobaric weapons cannot be used against military targets if this endangers the civilian population.It is noteworthy that the tactics of terror and shelling of residential infrastructure are used by the occupying Russian forces as an element of military-political pressure on the civilian population. Thus, an atmosphere of fear and distrust of the actions of the central government is created.Specially for EspresoAbout the author. Dmytro Sniehyriov, military expert, co-chair of the Prava Sprava NGO.The editorial staff does not always share the opinions expressed by the authors of the blogs.