The UK delegation of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) has asked the Russian delegation of the organization to explain how a heavy TOS-1 Buratino thermobaric rocket launcher, which is only produced by Russia, was spotted in the village of Kruhlyk of Luhansk region that is under control of self-declared Luhansk People's Republic.

"As mentioned in the SMM daily report as of September 28, the SMM observed on September 25, at a separatist-controlled training area in Kruhlyk, a heavy multiple launch thermobaric rocket system, a TOS-1 Buratino. This weapon system, which spreads and ignites a flammable liquid over its target, causes indiscriminate and terrible damage," the UK OSCE delegation tweeted.

The delegation has said the Buratino is produced in Russia and has never been exported to Ukraine.

"We are requesting the delegation of the Russian Federation to explain the presence of the TOS-1 Buratino in this training area," the report said.

The TOS-1 heavy flamethrower system is a Soviet 220mm 30-barrel or 24-barrel multiple rocket launcher thermobaric weapon mounted on a T-72 tank chassis.

The TOS-1 was designed for defeating enemy personnel in fortifications, open country, and in lightly armored vehicles. The TOS-1 can be used in both offensive and defensive missions to provide support to infantry and tanks.

The TOS-1 was developed by the Design Bureau of Transport Machine Building based in Omsk in the late 1980s and small numbers were used in military operations in the early 1990s.