The Russian Armed Forces are reported to have struck the Ukrainian town of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region using an exceptionally powerful bomb, which some claim to be the elusive ODAB-9000 thermobaric weapon.
The strike, captured on video, shows what appears to be a devastating explosion in the center of the town, with the footage circulating widely online, fueling speculation about the use of this rarely seen bomb.
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The ODAB-9000 is believed to be Russia's most powerful thermobaric bomb, designed to create a massive blast wave capable of causing widespread destruction over a large area.
Thermobaric weapons work by dispersing an aerosol cloud of fuel, which is then ignited to produce a high-temperature explosion and a prolonged blast wave, making them deadly effective against buildings and bunkers.
Despite its existence, the ODAB-9000 is considered to be largely experimental, having been tested only once in 2007 and has not been confirmed as part of Russia’s standard arsenal.
Until now, the FAB-3000, another large bomb, has been Russia’s most frequently used heavy-duty aerial munition that has been upgraded with a guidance system, allowing for precision strikes on fortified targets.
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However, the sheer force of the Vovchansk explosion has led to widespread speculation that something far more powerful, such as the ODAB-9000, may have been used.
The Ukrainian military issues outlet Defense Express has cast doubt on this theory, given that this bomb, in its original design, is dropped directly over the target, with the carriers being strategic bombers such as the Tu-160, Tu-95, or Tu-22M3.
Deploying such a weapon under current conditions is highly improbable, as it would almost certainly lead to the loss of the Russian bomber due to the Ukrainian surface-to-air missile (SAM) fire.
The only known instance of the Russian Federation using the Tu-22M3 to drop bombs was in the siege of Mariupol, where the risk was minimal due to limited air defense threats.
Moreover, the video of the Vovchansk strike appears to show a gliding munition, likely using UMPC (Universal Modular Planning and Correction Kit) technology. In Russia, these kits are designed for aerial bombs in the 1500 kg and 3000 kg classes, suggesting that the weapon used was more likely an upgraded FAB-3000 or ODAB-1500, rather than the ODAB-9000.
Both the ODAB-1500 and FAB-3000 bombs are typically deployed from Su-34 fighter-bombers, and their use has been increasingly common on the frontline.
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