Ukraine claims Russia used illegal vacuum bomb during invasion: “Potential war crime”

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The International Criminal Court has launched an investigation into Russia’s possible war crimes, which the country may have committed during its invasion of Ukraine, after a Ukrainian official said Russia had used illegal weapons during the war, officials said.

On Monday, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, told reporters at the US Capitol that during the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the former country used a vacuum bomb in violation of international law, Reuters reported.

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“They used the vacuum bomb today,” Markarova told a closed-door hearing in Congress, where committee members received a briefing on intelligence about the war. The devastation that Russia is trying to inflict on Ukraine is great.

On the same day, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, who was already investigating before the invasion, said he was launching an investigation “as soon as possible” into any other potential violations, ABC News reported.

Pro-Ukrainian protesters hold flags and lights on telephones as they protest Russia's invasion of Ukraine in Trafalgar Square.

Pro-Ukrainian protesters hold flags and lights on telephones as they protest Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in Trafalgar Square. (Photo by Lucy North / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images)

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The vacuum bomb is a thermobaric weapon that is usually more devastating than traditional bombs because it absorbs oxygen in a space to cause a significant explosion that can evaporate people, Reuters reported.

View of the damage caused by the armed conflict between Russia, Ukraine in the Donetsk region under the control of pro-Russian separatists, Eastern Ukraine on February 28, 2022

View of the damage caused by the armed conflict between Russia, Ukraine in the Donetsk region under the control of pro-Russian separatists, Eastern Ukraine on February 28, 2022 (Photo by Stringer / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

A Russian vehicle capable of carrying a thermobaric weapon has been spotted traveling to Ukraine, CNN reported, but there is no official definition that such a weapon has been used.

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The White House is awaiting confirmation from international investigators before taking action, officials said.

“If that were true, it would potentially be a war crime,” White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told a news briefing Monday. She also said that President Biden “will seem to be part of this conversation”.

President Biden remarks on Russia's attack on Ukraine in the Eastern Room of the White House in Washington, DC, February 24, 2022.

President Biden remarks on Russia’s attack on Ukraine in the Eastern Room of the White House in Washington, DC, February 24, 2022. (Reuters / Leah Milis)