Old Video Recirculated as a Vacuum Bomb Explosion in Ukraine
The Claim
The video shows a thermobaric āvacuum bombā being used to destroy a Ukrainian army base in Okhtyrka.
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Social media users have circulated the video of a bomb explosion with clouds of dust and debris, claiming it documents the Russian use of a thermobaric āvacuum bombā to destroy the Ukrainian army base in the northeastern town of Okhtyrka, killing 70 soldiers.
Misbarās Analysis
Misbar has investigated the claim and found it to be misleading. The video is old and was uploaded to Youtube in 2019. It is unrelated to Russiaās ongoing military operation in Ukraine.
The video was described as an alleged explosion of an āODAB 500Pā device in Syria. Other Youtube channels posted the same video later in November 2021 as the explosion of a thermobaric bomb in Syria.
News websites have published articles and reports about the footage and confirmed it is related to Syria.
Description: Websites published reports on the same video.
The video started circulating after human rights activists accused Russia of using vacuum bombs known as thermobaric weapons.
Many international organizations have condemned the use of vacuum bombs, which are made up of two distinct explosive charges. The first charge opens the container and disperses the fuel mixture as a cloud capable of penetrating everything. The second charge detonates the cloud, resulting in a blast and a vacuum capable of sucking in all of the surrounding oxygen.
