Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #Thermobaric

Most recents (7)

NEW: Pentagon says it opposes transfer of #Poland's MiGs to #Ukraine, describing the potential move as "high risk" per @PentagonPresSec

Kirby adds US intelligence also warned against the transfer, saying it "could be mistaken as escalatory" by #Russia
More: US looking at alternative options - working w/other allies who may be able to help #Ukraine air defense systems, like surface-to-air missiles, possibly additional manpads & anti-armor systems, per @PentagonPresSec
MORE: "We don't believe additional aircraft is the most effective answer" per @PentagonPresSec, though he adds sovereign countries can do what they want
Read 10 tweets
#ICJ Prelim Measures hearing #Ukraine v #Russia #Genocide Convention begins. Camera lingers on the Russia table, which is notably empty... #intlaw
#ICJ Pres makes clear RF was immediately notifed of the filings, & RF ambassador to NL has indicated RF will not participate in the proceedings.
#Ukraine has chosen ad hoc judge Prof Yves Daudet.
Read 38 tweets
NEW: US now assesses 90% of #Russia's pre-staged combat power has entered #Ukraine, per senior US defense official

"Heavy bombardment in the cities to the north & to the east...#Kyiv, #Chernihiv & #Kharkiv" per official

BUT Russian forces in the north still "largely stalled"
US unable to confirm #Kherson has been taken by #Russia, per senior US defense official

#Mariupol still holding out despite #Russia|n attempts to encircle the city, per official
"We assess the #Ukrainian air & missile defense system remains intact & remain effective" per senior US defense official

#Ukraine also able to fly its own jets as airspace over the country remains contested
Read 23 tweets
Thermobarics: a primer

First, here is a great chemistry thread by @johnismay.

Summary: thermobarics are a type of explosive that seek to lengthen the time for which the blast produces HEAT ("thermo") and PRESSURE ("baric")

But why does this increase injuries & damage?...(1/10)
(2/10) All explosives cause damage through the pressure wave they produce (in addition to things like shrapnel). The outwardly expanding pressure wave is why you might escape w/burns if you hold a firecracker on an open palm, but you will lose your hand if you close your fingers.
(3/10) If the pressure wave lasts a long time, it is hitting targets with that elevated pressure for a longer time.

Think of pressure washers: focus the flow on one spot, that spot can get damaged. Longer pressure waves mean more energy/damage imparted to anything that gets hit.
Read 11 tweets
What are #thermobaric weapons and how do they work? Guardian explainer follows fresh fears in #Ukraine: theguardian.com/world/2022/mar…

Most important: They are highly indiscriminate weapons and should never be used in populated areas. Image
In the past, Human Rights Watch has documented the use of "thermobaric" weapons, also called "vacuum bombs" or "fuel air explosives", by Russian forces in Chechnya:
hrw.org/news/2000/02/0…

Also by government forces in Syria: hrw.org/news/2013/10/0…
They are more powerful than conventional high-explosive munitions of comparable size, and they kill and injure people in a particularly brutal manner over a wide area.

They are more likely to kill and injure people trying to take cover in bunkers and shelters.
Read 4 tweets
#THERMOBARIC #WEAPONS:
First use:
#USA in the #Vietnam #War, called "#Napalm".
The TOS-1 Buratino is a Russian self-propelled multiple rocket launcher (MRLS) that saw action in global hotspots like Afghanistan, Chechnya, Iraq & Syria:

via @YouTube
#Thermobaric #Weapons, mostly ground based,
but also via aerial Bombings -USA Vietnam,
are used against an enemy that is #Dug-in:
#Fortifications, #Bunkers, #Forests & #Cities.
#Russia didn't use them yet, to #Protect civilians:
TOS1: No Joke
via @YouTube
Russia deploys its deadliest weapon near Ukraine:
- #TOS-1 #Thermobaric rocket launcher.

The appearance of #NATO military, #Militants & #Mercenaries in the area #Bordering Ukraine,
forced #Russia to deploy heavy #Flame #Throwing systems:

via @YouTube
Read 4 tweets
Brining multiple threads together into this long thread - Highlighting core themes from the #UkraineInvasion

Human Kindness
Bravery defiance
Winning hearts & minds
Emergency Services response

As ex vice chair #EmergencyPlanningSociety @TheEPSLdn

#StandWithUkriane πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦ πŸ’™πŸ’›
Part 2 Bravery & defiance as a country, its citizens and the global community #StandswithUkraine πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡¦πŸ’™πŸ’›
Read 54 tweets

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