Reports have emerged that Russia may have deployed the powerful ODAB-9000 thermobaric bomb in Ukraine for the first time. Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels shared a video allegedly showing the bomb being used in Vovchansk, located in the Kharkiv region, on September 30. Some Russian military experts claim this was the first use of the ODAB-9000 in the conflict, but doubts have been raised about the footage.
Instead, reports suggest the video might show the use of a less powerful ODAB-1500 bomb, rather than the ODAB-9000. Ukraine’s Kharkiv Operational and Tactical Group spokesperson, Colonel Vitalii Sarantsev, dismissed the claims as part of an “information war.” He emphasized that the bomb used in Vovchansk was of much lower power, stating that no strategic bombers capable of carrying the ODAB-9000, such as the Tu-160, had been detected in the area. Sarantsev accused propagandists of exaggerating the explosion to create fear and urged Ukrainian media to verify sources before spreading such information.
Meanwhile, Russian forces have reportedly captured the town of Vuhledar, a strategically important location in the Donbas region. Pro-Russian Telegram channels shared videos of Russian troops raising the national flag over the ruined town, which had been defended by Ukraine’s 72nd Mechanized Brigade. However, no official confirmation has been provided by either the Russian or Ukrainian military regarding the town’s capture. President Vladimir Putin has reiterated Russia’s objective of securing the entire Donbas region, where heavy fighting has continued since August.
