Washington: Ukraine's envoy to the United States on Monday accused Russia of using cluster bombs and vacuum bombs, weapons that have been condemned by a variety of international organizations on it's attempt to invade Ukraine.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch both said that Russian forces appeared to have used widely banned cluster munitions, with Amnesty accusing them of attacking a preschool in northeastern Ukraine while civilians took shelter inside.
Russia used a vacuum bomb on the fifth day of its invasion of Ukraine, the ambassador has been claimed.
After meeting with members of the US Congress, Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, told reporters that Russia used a thermobaric weapon, which is known as a vacuum bomb, in the conflict.
The bomb, also known as a thermobaric weapon or aerosol bomb, draws oxygen from the atmosphere to create a bigger and more devastating explosion. It produces a blast wave of a longer duration than that of a conventional explosive and can vaporise human bodies.
There has been no official confirmation that thermobaric weapons have been used in the conflict in Ukraine. CNN reported that one of its teams had spotted a Russian thermobaric multiple rocket launcher near the Ukrainian border early on Saturday afternoon.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that she had seen reports but did not have confirmation about the use. "If that were true, it would potentially be a war crime," she told a briefing.
Amnesty International said international humanitarian law prohibits the use of inherently indiscriminate weapons such as cluster munitions.
