BLAST ZONE
Russia dropping ‘vacuum bombs’ that can explode victim’s LUNGS on Ukrainian troops in bid to halt Kursk invasion
Watch the video above for the latest on the Kursk invasion
RUSSIA are dropping terrifying thermobaric bombs in their fierce battle to stop Ukrainian troops from invading deeper into Kursk.
Known as a vacuum bomb, the devastating weapon is capable of wiping out huge numbers by making its victims suffocate on deadly chemicals or cause their lungs to explode.
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Releasing the bombs is not a breach of international law as long as civilians aren't being targeted with them.
Russia has a chilling past with thermobaric bombs after they reportedly dropped one on a Ukrainian oil depot in 2022.
It is still unclear where the bomb was dropped within the war-torn Kursk region and how much damage it caused.
Thermobaric weapons were originally developed by the Nazis in World War Two but first used by the US in Vietnam.
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The initial bomb's blast spreads highly volatile chemicals particles into the air before a destructive fireball sucks it back in along with the oxygen from the surrounding area.
Seconds later an enormous explosion and a shockwave rings out - leaving victims suffocating and in some cases melting their skin.
Vladimir Putin's strong response comes after Ukrainian troops stormed the borders in the first invasion of Russia since World War 2.
President Volodymyr Zelensky's men went on the offensive with a barrage of calculated strikes as they pushed back against Vlad's army who steamed into Ukraine in February 2022.
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Ukrainian troops have managed to infiltrate as deep as 20km into Russian territory after the huge incursion, say reports.
They are said to have killed hundreds of Russian troops, blitzed a key airfield, and spread chaos in Putin's own backyard.
Speaking to his nation on Saturday, Zelensky declared he would "restore justice" after Russia's invasion.
He said in his nightly address: "Today, I received several reports from Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi regarding the front lines and our actions to push the war onto the aggressor's territory.
"Ukraine is proving that it can indeed restore justice and ensure the necessary pressure on the aggressor."
Putin dropping 3-tonne FAB-3,000 bombs on Ukrainian forces streaming into Russia in desperate bid to stop
The scenes have reportedly left Putin after he was caught out by the surprise mini invasion.
Russia's war machine has spent the last six days wrestling to gain back territory and prevent Kyiv from gaining a further foothold.
Moscow announced a massive "counter-terror operation" in three regions on Saturday.
The defence ministry launched a major deployment of their military capabilities over to the frontlines.
In a statement to local media they said Russia is moving "multiple rocket launchers, towed artillery guns, tanks transported on trawls, heavy tracked vehicles and Ural and Kamaz trucks".
They are being sent to defend Kursk's Sudzhansky District which has been at the heart of Ukrainian attacks since Tuesday morning.
Terrifying footage even captured the moment a FAB-3000 bomb was dropped in a bid to halt Ukraine's invasion.
A Russian SU-34 plane unleashed the explosive on Ukrainian troops as they were readying to cross into Russia on Friday.
Since the emergency deployment of troops the ministry claim they have prevented Ukraine from advancing further into Russian land.
They declared they had "thwarted the attempts of the enemy’s mobile groups to get to the depth of the Russian territory".
Ukraine is proving that it can indeed restore justice and ensure the necessary pressure on the aggressor
Volodymyr Zelensky
The claims have been largely dismissed however with Russia coming under fire with further attacks over the weekend.
Their latest blitz saw Kursk city pounded by a wave of kamikaze drones and Tochka-U tactical missiles overnight.
A residential building was seen up in flames following one of the blasts with footage showing a car on fire and plumes of smoke billowing into the sky.
Fire crews watched on as dozens were reportedly injured after Russia downed one of the four missiles.
Governor of Kursk region Alexei Smirnov said: “Today a downed Ukrainian missile fell on a residential building in the city of Kursk.
"A fire broke out.”
Further reports of regional power outages and even a giant fireball blast on a gas rig in the Black Sea have also plagued Putin's army.
It comes as flocks of Kursk residents have been ordered to evacuate the war-torn region in the last week.
At least 76,000 left by Friday with Russian authorities setting up temporary accommodation in eight regions - with up to 60 shelters.
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More are expected to flee in the coming days as the fighting rages on.
Locals have been seen flocking out of the blitzed region on buses, trains and cars after repeated strikes in the last few days.
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