Russia Confirmed Use of ‘Vacuum Bombs’ in Ukraine: UK

Cars and a building of a hospital destroyed by an aviation strike amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in Mariupol, Ukraine, in this handout picture released March 9, 2022. (Press service of the National Police of Ukraine/Handout via Reuters)

The UK’s Ministry of Defence on March 9 claimed that Russia has admitted to using a thermobaric weapon system or “vacuum bombs” during its invasion of Ukraine.

In a Twitter post, the ministry said that the “Russian [Ministry of Defence] has confirmed the use of the TOS-1A weapon system in Ukraine. The TOS-1A uses thermobaric rockets, creating incendiary and blast effects.”

The post was accompanied by a video providing information about the weapon and what the ministry described as its “devastating impact.”

Despite their effects, the Soviet-era weapons are not prohibited under international law, however they cannot be used if they will harm civilians. Most recently, they were used by coalition forces in Afghanistan to destroy mountain caves where al-Qaeda terrorists were hiding.

They consist of a fuel container with two separate explosive charges which can be launched as a rocket or dropped from an aircraft as a bomb. When they make impact, they effectively suck in oxygen from the surrounding air, resulting in a giant high-temperature explosion which can penetrate buildings and any unsealed areas.

The result is far more damaging than conventional blasts.

“The impact of the [TOS-1A] is devastating,” the UK Ministry of Defense said in the video. “It can destroy infrastructure and cause significant damage to internal organs and flash burns, resulting in death to those exposed.”

The Epoch Times has contacted the Russian Ministry of Defence for comment.

Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, said after meeting with members of Congress in the U.S. Capitol last week that thermobaric bombs were being used by Russian forces in addition to missiles.

“They used the vacuum bomb today, which is actually prohibited by Geneva Conventions. So, you know, the devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large. But we Ukrainians will resist. We are defending our home. We do not have any other option. We will not get tired. We will not stop. We will not surrender,” she said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) told reporters on Wednesday that she had spoken with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding Russia’s alleged use of vacuum bombs.

“We talked about weapons that Putin is using, weapons prohibited in the Geneva Conventions, including cluster bombs and vacuum bombs, which caused severe suffering,” Pelosi said, according to Politico.

A number of other officials, including Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) have also claimed that Russia is using such weaponry in its invasion of Ukraine.

Rubio wrote on Twitter last month that “Russia has now deployed TOS-1 launchers to the outskirts of heavily populated areas.” The GOP senator said the weapons being used on “civilian targets” would “have zero military purpose,” adding that “it would be a war crime aimed at terrorizing & slaughtering people into submission.”

However, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters at a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon that he has seen “no indications” and “no evidence” that Russia has used such weapons in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the International Criminal Court has launched an investigation into allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide committed in Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials on Wednesday claimed that Russian aircraft bombed a maternity hospital in the port city of Mariupol, however Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s first deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said on Twitter that it was “fake news.”