The war between Russia and Ukraine has now lasted more than 90 days. Putin’s country failed to dominate Ukraine in a few days, as predicted, and the Ukrainian resistance has been highlighted and praised on a world scale.
Ukraine has again accused Russia of launching attacks with thermobaric bombs. What kind of weapons are these?
Thermobaric weapons are also called vacuum pumps.
Ukraine recently accused Russia of using thermobaric weapons. As we have already mentioned here, the use of these weapons, which suck oxygen from the surrounding air, serves to create an extremely powerful shock wave that ruptures organs and explodes the lungs.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry shared a video of explosions, where TOS-1A thermobaric rocket launchers can be fired with the aim of hitting Ukrainian troops in the Donetsk region. On Twitter, the Ministry of Defense shared a short video where it is possible to see thermobaric weapons being used by Russian forces.
russian TOS-1A shelling Ukrainian positions near Novomykhailivka, Donetsk region. This is what the largest and most horrific war of the 21st century looks like. Ukraine is ready to strike back. To do this, we need NATO-style MLRS. Immediately. pic.twitter.com/XwdBfAfEq8
— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 26, 2022
Thermobaric weapons, also called vacuum bombs, are high-energy explosives that consume oxygen from the air around them. Once released, the first part is the explosive charge that disperses the fuel into a cloud that can then enter surrounding buildings or objects.
In a second moment, ignition occurs, which ignites the aerosol cloud formed and the surrounding oxygen and triggers an explosion of extreme temperature and pressure, with devastating effects on the surroundings.
After ignition, the consumption of aerosol and oxygen from the surrounding air creates a low pressure area that “pulls” everything towards the ignition point – hence the name “vacuum pump” – learn more here.
It should be noted that the TOS-1 has a capacity for 24 220 mm thermobaric missile tubes. This technology also creates extremely high temperatures of several thousand degrees, which can cause horrific burns.