ODAB-9000 thermobaric bomb was used for the first time in Ukraine, according to Russian social media sources.
Russian Telegram channels shared footage of ODAB-9000's explosion, allegedly in the Kharkiv region.
According to the Russian designation system for aircraft bombs, ODAB-9000 is a nine-tonne bomb, most likely derived from the older FAB-9000.
ODAB-9000's estimated weight makes it larger than even the FOAB, which, at seven tonnes, has been the most potent thermobaric bomb in the Russian bombers' arsenal. The FOAB yields 44 tonnes of TNT and has extreme temperatures at the centre region of the blast.
Russia is utilising thermobaric versions of its FAB-series general-purpose bombs actively in Ukraine, such as ODAB-1500.
Thermobaric bombs damage their targets using extreme pressure and temperature instead of fragmentation or penetration effects. The detonation of a fuel-air mixture causes a significantly higher blast effect than HE-FRAG bombs of the same weight.
