Russia claims thermobaric attack kills 300 Ukrainian troops
Russian Armed Forces General Staff Deputy Head Alexei Kim reportedly informed the Russian Defense Minister about a "precision hit with thermobaric ammunition." According to this report, the attack resulted in as many as 300 Ukrainian soldiers' deaths – a detail reported by CNN on Saturday, citing the Russian Ministry of Defense.
4:11 PM EDT, March 16, 2024
It should be noted that many reports from Russian media or officials can be elements of propaganda. Such statements are often part of the information war led by the Russian Federation.
Lieutenant General Alexei Kim stated that the strike targeted the "location of the nationalist formation 'Kraken', (...), employing a 'thermobaric bomb detonation' for the attack."
Thermobaric bombs fall under the category of thermobaric weapons. The Lieber Institute for Law & Warfare at the United States Military Academy in West Point describes the destruction caused by thermobaric weapons as resulting from the shock wave they produce. Additionally, they create a vacuum by drawing in oxygen to sustain the detonation, as pointed out by CNN.
Kim also reportedly claimed to Shoigu that "just in the last week, due to the effective work of reconnaissance and strike systems, three American Patriot systems, a Vampire missile launcher, over 10 foreign artillery systems, as well as fuel and ammunition depots have been destroyed".
The utilization of thermobaric bombs by Russia in Ukraine had been previously reported by both Ukrainian authorities and British intelligence.
However, the claims made in the Saturday reports have yet to be confirmed by Ukrainian and international sources.
