{"id":250116,"date":"2022-02-27T08:24:29","date_gmt":"2022-02-27T08:24:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=250116"},"modified":"2022-02-28T08:09:21","modified_gmt":"2022-02-28T08:09:21","slug":"what-is-a-thermobaric-bomb-fears-putin-will-use-weapon-which-can-destroy-cities-block-by-block","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thetruthseeker.co.uk\/?p=250116","title":{"rendered":"What is a thermobaric bomb? Fears Putin will use weapon which can destroy cities block-by-block"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Georgina Littlejohn \u2013 inews.co.uk Feb 26, 2022<\/strong><\/h1>\n

After a night of fighting in Kyiv<\/a>, Ukrainian troops have so far managed to repel Russian troops <\/a>from seizing the capital.<\/p>\n

But Western officials have warned that if the Ukrainian military resistance continues to hold up the Russian assault, President Putin<\/a> could resort to using thermobaric weapons.<\/p>\n

But what is a thermobaric weapon and how dangerous is it?<\/p>\n

What is a thermobaric weapon?<\/h2>\n

Dubbed the \u2018father of all bombs\u2019, a thermobaric weapon works by using oxygen from the surrounding air to generate a high-temperature explosion, making it far deadlier than a conventional weapon.<\/p>\n

The so-called \u2018vacuum bombs\u2019 are capable of vapourising human bodies, crushing internal organs and reducing cities to rubble causing huge loss of life.<\/p>\n

Who developed them?<\/h2>\n

Both the United States<\/a> and the Soviet Union developed thermobaric weapons in the 1960s.<\/p>\n

In September 2007, the largest thermobaric weapon ever made was detonated by Russia and created an explosion equivalent to 39.9 tons.<\/p>\n

The US version reportedly costs over \u00a311 million ($16 million) each.<\/p>\n

In 2017, the US dropped one which weighed 21,600 pounds on the Taliban in Afghanistan. It left a crater more than 300 metres wide after it exploded six feet above the ground.<\/p>\n

Is the West concerned Russia will resort to using them?<\/h2>\n

Western allies fear Russia could use thermobaric weapons against Ukrainian forces if they continue to hold up their advance<\/a>.<\/p>\n

They believe because Russian forces missed most of their day one objectives of the invasion, they could resort to indiscriminate firing to make up ground.<\/p>\n

One official said this could include thermobaric weapons which Russia is known to have in its armoury and has used in past conflicts.<\/p>\n

The Tos-1 Buratino weapons are understood to have crossed into Ukraine, although they have yet to be used.<\/p>\n

Moscow has previously employed them in Chechnya and Syria.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy fear would be that if they don\u2019t meet their timescale and objectives they would be indiscriminate in their use of violence,\u201d the official said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey don\u2019t adhere to the same principles of necessity and proportionality and rule of law that Western forces do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Source<\/a><\/p>\n