“Vacuum bombs,” known as thermobaric weapons, harness the power of powdered metal to create a rapidly expanding fireball. Legally, their use is only permitted against military targets, and never against civilian targets.
As it reminds us Marc Garlasco , advisor to PAX, a peace organization based in the Netherlands, their use in populated areas would represent an open violation of international humanitarian law. From the fragmentary information received, we are not sure whether Russia is using them during its 'special military operation' in Ukraine.
On February 28, the Ukrainian ambassador to the USA Oksana Markarova told reporters that the Russia is using thermobaric weapons: testimonies and images arriving from the web do not clarify the doubts, however. For the moment, the images show the presence on the field of a TOS-1 Buratino, a vehicle equipped with 24 rockets that can house thermobaric warheads.
In any case, the danger for the population is truly enormous, considering the destructive power of thermobaric devices.
TOS-1 launches indirect fire rockets with an area effect that has the potential to cause widespread death and destruction in towns and cities. Such weapons should never be used in areas with civilian concentration due to the likelihood of harm to civilians.
Marc Garlasco
How thermobaric weapons work
Normal explosives are activated by detonation, releasing increasingly powerful energy. Thermobaric explosives, on the other hand, use metal powder that burns in the air. In a short time, the dust generates a fireball, which rapidly expands and creates a shock wave aimed outward.
The shock wave generated by the outward pressure released by the bomb is why thermobaric weapons are considered highly dangerous.
People close to the explosion can suffer serious internal damage, often damage to the lungs which receive excessive pressure. All this leads them to die without suffering any visible wounds. That's not all: the damage generated by a thermobaric explosion can reach even the most protected areas. Bunkers, trenches and tunnels, all structures that usually protect against normal bombardment, have no power.
According to Garlasco, “The Russia has a history of using thermobarics against cities and towns in Syria.” This is why the councilor cannot explain the presence of TOS-1 in a city. Such a weapon remains absolutely illegal. “It is difficult to understand how TOS-1 could be used legally in a city.”
