Russia unleashes potent ODAB-1500 air bomb in Ukraine for the first time
Russian forces have deployed a powerful ODAB-1500 bomb in Ukraine for the first time, striking the town of Velyka Pysarivka in Sumy Oblast, Russian Bild reported on Telegram on March 30.
Following the ODAB-1500 strike, a smoke cloud billowed to a height of 1 kilometer, reported Bild military analyst Julian Röpcke.
The ODAB, or volumetric detonating aviation bomb, is a relic from the Soviet era. About 10 meters before impact, this bomb releases a combustible liquid in aerosol form, igniting upon contact, resulting in a volumetric explosion. These bombs primarily target enemy soldiers and lightly armored vehicles, delivering devastating blast effects.
ODAB bombs vary in size, with the ODAB-500 covering an effective impact area of up to 300 square meters, while the ODAB-1500 extends to 500 square meters.
The Russians earlier used smaller ODAB bombs, ranging from 170 to 500 kilograms. Röpcke describes the use of a 1.5-ton bomb in a civilian settlement as "a new low in Russia's war against Ukrainian cities."
Ukrainian military expert Oleksandr Kovalenko corroborates the deployment of this projectile. The Russians carried out its first verified usage in Sumy Oblast, he said in a comment to Ukraine's Channel 24.
"The Russians are fully tapping into their arsenal of aviation bombs from the Soviet era," said Kovalenko.
"They can produce them using the old methodology."
At the epicenter of the ODAB bomb blast, pressure spikes to 120 atmospheres, making it impossible to hide from, he said.
These bombs, he said, pose an extreme danger, surpassing even conventional FABs (Soviet-designed general-purpose air-dropped bombs).
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