Rumors that Russia used the world's most powerful non-nuclear bomb to attack Ukraine

According to Newsweek, videos began circulating in Russian and Ukrainian media on October 1 of a "vacuum bomb" being dropped on the town of Vovchansk in northeastern Ukraine.

Ukrainian news agency InsiderUA posted the video on its Telegram channel, and quoted Russian military bloggers as saying it was a 3-ton ODAB-9000 glide bomb, also known as the "father of all bombs".

In the video, the bomb falls and explodes violently in the already devastated city, causing damage to surrounding buildings.

"A decision has been made to use ODAB-9000 vacuum bombs in Volchansk. This is the first time this type of bomb has been used since the outbreak of the conflict," a pro-Kremlin channel wrote.

Meanwhile, a pro-Ukrainian Telegram channel claimed that Russia used ODAB-3000 thermobaric bombs in the attack.

"Information about the use of ODAB-9000 bombs by Russian forces in Vovchansk is untrue," the Telegram channel of Ukraine's Kharkiv Operations and Tactics Group (OTU) said.

According to the spokesman of the Kharkiv OTU Vitaliy Sarantsev, "to use this type of bomb, a suitable launcher is needed, and theoretically it could be the Tu-160 strategic bomber. However, Ukraine did not detect the appearance of the Tu-160 at that time. A bomb of smaller weight and power was used for the attack".

According to Mr. Sarantsev, the video of the attack allegedly from the ODAB-9000 bomb was only intended to weaken the morale of the Ukrainian armed forces and local people.

According to Dr Sidharth Kaushal at the Royal United Services Institute in London, Russia's use of vacuum bombs in Ukraine is not uncommon.

This is also the reason why Russian air bases are becoming the main targets of Ukrainian attacks. In addition, Ukraine also hopes that the West will lift restrictions on the number of long-range weapons provided so that Kiev can strike deep into Russian territory.