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Topics: Ukraine, Russia, World News
Hannah Smith
The Ukrainian ambassador to the United States has claimed that Russia has carried out a 'vacuum bomb' attack, in what would be a significant escalation of its assault on the country.
In comments made to journalists following a meeting at the White House, Oksana Markarova did not confirm where the bomb had been used but said the attack had occured earlier that day, February 28.
'They used the vacuum bomb today, which is actually prohibited by the Geneva convention,' she said. 'The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is large, but 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.'
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The Kyiv Independent reports the Mayor of Okhtyrka also claimed yesterday that his city had been targeted by a vacuum bomb, with the casualties unknown.
Vacuum bombs - also known as thermobaric weapons - draw oxygen from the surrounding air to create a larger, more devastating explosion, and have been known to cause massive internal injuries to victims.
A CIA report into the impact of the weapons lists a host of catastrophic impacts, including the 'obliteration' of victims at the point of impact, as well as the possibility that those on the fringe of the explosion could inhale burning fuel and toxic fumes, or suffocate under the resulting pressure waves.
Russia has previously deployed TOS-1 rocket launchers capable of deploying the weapons in Syria, resulting in significant civilian casualties, and analysts have said the launch systems have also been spotted among Russian troop build ups.
According to The Independent, one western analyst warned that 'certainly, if it is used in any built-up area, there is no way you can eradicate the risk of significant civilian casualties' following a thermobaric weapons attack, adding that reports of the system's use in Ukraine were of 'considerable concern.'
The allegations come as intelligence sources have warned that Russia's invasion on Ukraine is set to enter a new, more dangerous phase, which may likely see more indiscriminate attacks carried out on civilian areas as Russia grows increasingly frustrated with its failure to capture any major cities in the country.
In an update issued this morning, March 1, the UK's Ministry of Defence said: 'Russian forces have greatly increased their use of artillery north of Kyiv and in vicinities of Kharkiv and Chernihiv,' adding that 'the use of heavy artillery in densely populated areas greatly increases the risk of civilian casualties.'
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