Russia has recently equipped its projectiles with thermobaric warheads.dr
Russia recently fired drones equipped with thermobaric warheads at Ukraine. They are particularly lethal, especially in closed spaces.
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Russian drone attacks on Ukrainian cities have increased massively. This fall, Putin’s troops have deployed approximately ten times more drones than last year at the same time, the head of the Ukrainian government Volodymyr Zelensky announced in early November. But, beyond their numbers, the new Russian drones have also become more dangerous because of their new warhead.
The Ukrainian military recently discovered a thermobaric warhead on a crashed Iranian Shahed-136 drone. Thermobaric explosions are considered particularly cruel, as they generate temperatures of up to 2600 degrees Celsius, consume all nearby oxygen, and create a vacuum that bursts lungs.
As a result, victims often choke on their own blood. Thermobaric explosions are particularly dangerous in enclosed spaces. The fearsome Russian Tos-1 rocket launcher also fires thermobaric projectiles.
Fewer missiles on Ukraine; Why?
According to the specialist portal Defense Expressthe “TBBCH-50M” type warhead found in a Shahed drone is a modern version of the weapon. Older thermobaric warheads, like aerosol bombs, operate in two stages. They first disperse a flammable liquid which mixes with air to form an aerosol, then triggers the explosion.
“TBBCH-50M” type warheads, on the other hand, release their deadly charge from the first explosion and directly generate a “cloud of fire”.
The number of Shahed drones equipped with thermobaric projectiles remains unknown. Already in April, hackers found the first clues of this new tactic, when they penetrated the servers of the Russian manufacturer Alabuga in the Tatarstan region, where drones are notably manufactured. Lately, the Ukrainian army has also intercepted Shahed drones equipped with different high-explosive warheads. According to a Ukrainian army report:
“The different warheads indicate that the Russians are precisely looking for a warhead that is best suited to massive use”
In contrast, Russia has recently reduced its missile and cruise missile attacks. There were virtually no attacks with Kinchal’s fearsome Iskander-type missiles in September and October, Ukrainian military expert Aleksandr Kowalenko told the trade journal The War Zone: “This does not mean that Russia is short of these missiles,” he clarified.
“Rather, this indicates that they are keeping these missiles in reserve to re-target our already battered infrastructure during the cold winter months”
(mk)
Translated and adapted from German by Léa Krejci
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