Ukraine accusedRussia of using thermobaric weapons on their forces in the eastern region of Donbas.- A video posted by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense Thursday shows huge explosions in the area.
A video published by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence on Thursday shows huge explosions, which its officials said were Russian thermobaric bomb strikes on their troops' positions in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine said the explosives — also known as vacuum bombs — landed on Ukrainian troops near the town of Novomykhailivka in the Donetsk region, currently the focus of Russia's offensive in Ukraine.
The video, which has not been independently verified by Insider, shows intense back-to-back blasts in a small area.
You can watch it below:
—Defence of Ukraine (@DefenceU) May 26, 2022
"This is what the largest and most horrific war of the 21st century looks like. Ukraine is ready to strike back," the Ministry of Defence wrote alongside the video. It also appealed to NATO to supply its forces with similar weapons.
The thermobaric rocket is a type of explosive that uses oxygen in the surrounding area to generate a high-temperature blast. It is so destructive it can vaporize human bodies and crush internal organs, according to Insider's Abbie schull and Allan Akhtar.
The weapon was first used during the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan and was also deployed in Chechnya and the Syrian civil war, per The Guardian.
A senior US defense official said in March that while Russia has launchers for this type of capability in Ukraine, it was unclear if such weapons had been used.
The video comes amid reports that Russian forces are making gains in the wider Donbas region of which Donetsk is a part.
The Russian Ministry of Defence did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.