The Russians are dropping devastating thermobaric bombs. The second most powerful after nuclear

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“This is not the first time that the Russians have used this bomb,” said the head of Ukraine’s HUR intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov.

He denied the claims collect citing the Russian Telegram channel Supernova+ that the bomb was first used in late March. “The ODAB-1500 was used more than once, both at the front and when the Russian Volunteer Corps and the Russian Freedom Legion were actively operating (on the territory of Russia – ed. note) – the ODAB-1500 was also used there, so it’s nothing new,” Budanov replied to the server NV.

A more detailed analysis of the use of ODAB-1500 bombs was provided by the Ukrainian server Defense Express while mentioning that the Russians have modified it to be glide-guided, allowing it to be launched from a distance of over 50 km. The Russian bombers that shoot them down thus remain relatively safe.

The Russians published the first shots of the ODAB-1500 bomb modified for gliding in mid-January. It can be seen on the hanger under the wing of the aircraft. It was then mistakenly identified as the three times weaker ODAB-500.

In mid-February, the Russians published footage of an attack with this thermobaric bomb on Ukrainian positions near Chasiv Yar near Bakhmut. In April 2023, another photo appeared of an ODAB-1500, but without gliding modifications, under a Su-24 bomber, suggesting that it may have been used by Wagner’s group at Bachmut.

Flammable aerosol to destroy life force

ODAB thermobaric bombs are more effective than the classic KAB/FAB -1500 fragmentation bombs of the same mass. ODAB-1500 covers an area of ​​500 square meters. They use the effect that a flammable aerosol has much more energy than a classic explosive.

About ten meters before impact, the flammable aerosol disperses and then explodes with greater force. The explosion creates a wall of fire and a pressure of 120 atmospheres. On the other hand, there is a negative pressure at the point of explosion, because oxygen is consumed. Due to the effect, they are mainly used to destroy the living forces of the enemy.

Photo: Kanal13

Exploze ODAB-1500 in Velyke Pysarivky

Thermobaric weapons are considered to be the second most powerful after nuclear ones, in terms of the volume of energy released relative to the weight.

While the ODAB-1500s are powerful, Defense Express notes that they are rarely used weapons. Ukrainian analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko in a statement for Ukrainian channel 24 but he warned that the Russians would have no problem producing them. “The Russians are only reaching for their arsenal of Soviet-era aerial bombs. They can produce them using old technologies,” pointed out Kovalenko.

Thermobaric weapons are by no means new, they were already tested by Wilhelmine Germany during the First World War. Thermobaric bombs ODAB-500 were already used by the Soviet army, they were deployed in Afghanistan in the eighties. The Syrian Air Force was also supposed to use these bombs in 2012 near Azaz, Kusayr and Raqqa.

Thermobaric weapons are not banned, all attempts to ban them have failed so far.