What are vacuum bombs that Ukraine claims Russia using amid invasion? How do they work?

Fears have arisen over alleged use of vacuum bombs by Russia after Ukrainian ambassor to US and human rights groups on Monday said that Moscow has been attacking former Soviet nation with rmobaric weapons - anor term for weapon. 

It is to mention that use of dely weapon, which sucks in oxygen from surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, has yet to be independently confirmed. However, several media outlets, including CNN, have reported that one of its teams spotted a Russian rmobaric rocket launcher near Ukrainian border on Saturday. Footage from Ukraine has also shown vacuum bomb launchers on Russia’s TOS-1 vehicles. 

What is a vacuum bomb and how do y work? 

A vacuum bomb or a rmobaric weapon is a two-stage munition that is used to suck in oxygen from surrounding area in order to generate a high-temperature explosion. refore, blast wave produced by bomb is significantly longer in duration as compared to a conventional explosive. weapon is also capable of vaporising human bodies. 

rmobaric weapon is also known as an aerosol bomb or fuel-air explosive. As mentioned before, vacuum bomb is a two-stage munition. Guardian explained that first-stage charge distributes an aerosol me up of very fine material, from a carbon-based fuel to tiny metal particles. A second charge n ignites that cloud, creating a fireball, a huge shock wave, and a vacuum as it sucks up all surrounding oxygen. 

Where have y been used before? 

According to reports, dely bombs have been used by Russian and western forces since 1960s. United States relied on rmobaric weapon in its attempts to eliminate terror group al-Qaeda in mountains in Afghanistan. Russia, on or hand, has h a longer track record with bombs than west. 

According to Dr Marcus Hellyer, senior analyst at Australian Strategic Policy Institute, separatists that Russia was supporting in Donbas region have been using m for a number of years now. It is to mention that according to Guarding, back in 200, Human Rights Watch even condemned Moscow’s reported use of weapons a year earlier in Chechnya as “dangerous escalation” with important humanitarian implications. 

How dangerous are vacuum bombs? 

According to experts, rmobaric weapons were effective at ir purpose of destroying defensive positions. y are not used to penetrate a tank, however, y could be a “very destructive weapon” against an apartment complex or building. Analysts explained that vacuum bombs suck air out of lungs of defenders. 

(Image: Twitter/AP)