For the first time, Russia uses a massive thermobaric bomb in the Ukraine conflict
Russia has used a powerful thermobaric weapon, the ODAB-1500 bomb, for the first time in the conflict, hitting the village of Velyka Pysarivka in the Sumy region, reports the German tabloid Bild.
The explosion of the ODAB-1500 bomb is reported to have created a smoke cloud reaching a height of one kilometer. This Soviet-era thermobaric device releases a flammable liquid in aerosol form approximately ten meters from the target before ignition, resulting in a devastating blast.
In previous attacks within Ukraine, Russian forces had used smaller variants of the ODAB, ranging from 170 to 500 kilograms. The deployment of the 1.5-ton bomb in the Sumy region marked a significant escalation in firepower compared to the earlier models.
According to military analyst Alexander Kovalenko, the ODAB-1500 bomb employs ethylene oxide or propylene oxide as explosives. The weapon's blast yields an effective destruction range of up to 300 square meters, exerting a pressure between 90 to 120 atmospheres, with the explosive power in TNT equivalent close to 1 ton. With the ODAB-1500, the affected area expands to 500 square meters.
"It's clear that the Russian Armed Forces have not only resolved the challenge of timely detonation, taking into account variable delay functions for extended flight, but also the application of more advanced targeting systems for the larger ODAB-1500," says the expert.
In a related incident in the Belgorod region of Russia, three aerial bombs were found in a single day, including a KAB-1500. A total of at least 12 bombs were dropped in the region over the span of a week.
On March 27, Russian forces launched an aerial attack on a residential district in Kharkiv, which resulted in shrapnel injuries to a child less than a year old.