Russia used the potent
vacuum bomb during its invasion of Ukraine, Oksana Markarova, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, told reporters on Monday night after a meeting with U.S. lawmakers.
A vacuum bomb, also called a thermobaric weapon, works by taking in oxygen to create powerful, high-temperature explosions. If used in a civilian setting, such an attack could constitute a war crime.
“They used the vacuum bomb today,” Markarova said.
The bomb destroyed a Ukrainian army base in the northeastern town of Okhtyrka, killing 70 soldiers, Sumy region administrative chief Dmytro Zhyvytskyy said on his Telegram channel.
Images from the scene showed the middle third of a main building gutted by the blast.
Okhtyrka Mayor Pavel Kuzmenko
described the weapon used in the attack as a vacuum bomb.
Ukrainian media have carried eyewitness
video of the blast, which had a timestamp of 5:32 p.m. on Monday.
In Washington, the White House said it had not independently verified the incidents.
“I don’t have any confirmation of that,” said White House spokesperson Jen Psaki. “We have seen the reports. If that were true, it would potentially be a war crime.”