As the war wages on in the Ukraine, there are accusations that Russia has been attacking the country with a weapon that causes asphyxiation and severe organ damage.
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The vacuum bomb, also known as a thermobaric rocket, not only devastates areas of land, but also detrimentally effects the human body, Jack Detsch, Pentagon and national security reporter at Foreign Policy magazine told KCBS Radio.
"These weapon systems basically suck in oxygen from the surrounding environment to make them more explosive and have the blast wave last longer," Detsch explained. "They have impact not just on the surrounding environment by the explosive waves they create, but by sucking oxygen out of people's lungs."
U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said Wednesday she was significantly concerned about the use of vacuum bombs, as they signify that Russia is willing to up the level of civilian harm in the Ukraine.
The thermobaric rockets are fired out of a multiple launcher system which can fire several rockets at the same time. The devices have been condemned by the UN and multiple human rights organizations.
Detsch said the United States has not used thermobaric weapons, adding that Russia has been using vacuum bombs for the past 20 to 30 years. "This is something in Russia's arsenal that really worries Pentagon officials and international officials," he said.
According to multiple news outlets, there are accusations that Russia has been using vacuum bombs in Ukraine, but none were able to independently verify.
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