Russia Ukraine Update Thread - part 3

a reply to: YourFaceAgain

I think you're correct. A blurb from NBC News:

March 7, 2022 - Despite the horrifying destruction that thermobaric munitions can cause, there are no laws that ban their use in warfare, though they are widely condemned by nongovernmental organizations. The use of such weapons against civilians, however, is prohibited by the Geneva Conventions ...

Cheers

a reply to: Ravenwatcher

The one russia is using now is called ODAB-500 glide bomb


Was the ODAB-1500 Aviation Bomb Used by the Enemy for the First Time: What Is Its Main Danger?

a reply to: YourFaceAgain

Not sure about the thermobaric weapons, but I don't think they're blanket illegal either.

there are no restrictions on thermobaric weapons om military targets.

nternational law does not prohibit the use of thermobaric munitions, fuel-air explosive devices, or vacuum bombs against military targets.[112][28] As of March 2024, all past attempts to regulate or restrict thermobaric weapons have failed.[113][28]
According to some scholars, thermobaric weapons are not intrinsically indiscriminate by nature, as they are often engineered for precision targeting capabilities. This precision aspect serves to provide humanitarian advantages by potentially minimizing collateral damage and also lessens the amount of munitions needed to effectively engage with the chosen military goals. Nonetheless, authors holding this view recommend that the use of thermobaric weapons in populated areas should be minimized due to their wide-area impact and multiple harm mechanisms.[114]
International law

So in summary, while their effects are immense, there are no blanket prohibitions on the use of thermobaric weapons under existing international treaties – it depends on how and where they are deployed. Both NATO and Russia maintain stockpiles, and have used thermobaric weapons in certain combat situations that were deemed legally acceptable, such as clearing bunkers in Afghanistan.
Are Thermobaric Weapons Banned by the Geneva Convention? Understanding the Rules Around These Powerful Munitions

a reply to: BernnieJGato

So really the only "legal" problem is if they're using them against protected civilian targets, which applies to more conventional weapons as well.

a reply to: YourFaceAgain

The other thing about TB weapons relates to them being called 'vacuum' bombs.

They're very effective in closed spaces, like caves or tunnels. Using them on buildings in cities would in most cases involve civilian bystanders. The flip side to that coin is that striking positions in the field with such weapons is of limited value and effectiveness.

Cheers

Russia must be thinking now, where they should have the aeroplanes on ground , what air base ? as the range of Ukrainian drones is so long now. They hit 3 Russian air bases last night, destroying or damaging quite many it seems...

So keeping the planes too close to Ukraine seems to be a problem now for Russia ? I dont know what air defence is doing there

originally posted by: Kenzo

Russia must be thinking now, where they should have the aeroplanes on ground , what air base ? as the range of Ukrainian drones is so long now. They hit 3 Russian air bases last night, destroying or damaging quite many it seems...

So keeping the planes too close to Ukraine seems to be a problem now for Russia ? I dont know what air defence is doing there

Weren't we once told that Russian air defenses like the ones they sold to Syria and Iran are impenetrable and the Russia proper has even better ones?

a reply to: YourFaceAgain


Seems now that it was hyped quite a lot , even India stopped buying Russian systems if i remember .


The last night was really bad for Russia

The consequences of a night drone attack on Russian military airfields have become known

a reply to: Kenzo

Saratov? Hmm...rings a bell?

a reply to: F2d5thCavv2

i would think in trenches they would pretty much work almost as well as tunnels and caves. cause they suck up the air and set it a fire and the pressure wave destroys the air sacs in lungs leaving the bodies looking almost like nothing happened.
in fact they even say they work well against bunkers, trenches, tunnels and fox holes.

lots of trenches and bunkers in Ukraine.

This is far more dangerous than the brief pulse produced by high explosives and causes distinct injuries, typically in the lungs where the pressure wave can destroy delicate air sacs or cause a massive embolism, leaving victims dead with no signs of external damage.
Read more:

A prolonged thermobaric blast can go also around corners, making it effective against bunkers, trenches and tunnels, which would provide shelter from a normal blast.

What are vacuum bombs and is Russia using them in Ukraine?

a reply to: Oldcarpy2


Comrade RT home city area

a reply to: Kenzo

Da, comrade. Is in range! Hope he stays safe.

a reply to: Kenzo

Our interlocutor claims that the attack was probably successful.

I dunno, that sounds kinda weak.

Ahem. Putin's poo put in a briefcase to take back to Russia?

www.independent.co.uk...

Multiple sources reporting this!

a reply to: Oldcarpy2

It's not really from multiple sources. It's from one source, with a few other outlets publishing articles that say "hey, that one source is saying this."

That said, dictators and leaders in general have displayed really peculiar quirks in the past, so I'm not gonna say it's *impossible.*

a reply to: YourFaceAgain

No. Google on "Putin's poo" and you will see multiple sources .

a reply to: Oldcarpy2

I looked at a number of articles. They all refer back to one source, the article in Paris Match.

Being reported by multiple outlets is not the same as multiple sources.

5 April Update

Ukrainian media reported that sources within Ukrainian security services, including the Ukrainian Main Military Intelligence Directorate (GUR), stated that the SBU and Ukrainian forces conducted successful strikes on airfields near Kursk City and Yeysk, Krasnodar Krai; the Engels Airbase in Saratov Oblast; and the Morozovsk Airbase in Rostov Oblast. These Ukrainian security sources reportedly stated that the Ukrainian drone strikes significantly damaged three Tu-95MS strategic bombers at Engels airbase, damaged two Su-25 fixed-wing aircraft at the airbase near Yeysk, and destroyed six unidentified aircraft and significantly damaged another eight unidentified aircraft at the Morozovsk Airbase. The Ukrainian strikes reportedly killed four Russian military personnel at the airbase near Yeysk and seven Russian personnel at the Engels Airbase and wounded and killed up to 20 Russian personnel at the Morozovsk Airbase.

(Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys) Shmyhal also reported that Russian missile and drone strikes have damaged or disrupted roughly 80 percent of electricity generation at Ukrainian thermal power plants (TPPs) in recent weeks, as Russian forces continue to exploit the degraded Ukrainian air defense umbrella in an effort to collapse Ukraine’s energy grid.

Czech Transport Minister Martin Kupka reportedly told Financial Times (FT) in an article published on April 4 that Czechia suspects Russia of conducting a hacking campaign consisting of thousands of attacks against Czech national railway operator České dráhy to destabilize the EU and destroy critical infrastructure. Kupka noted that Czechia is capable of defending against all the attacks.

Russian forces recently made confirmed advances near Avdiivka amidst ongoing positional fighting along the entire line of contact on April 5.

More at URL above.

Cheers

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