Russia's attempt to invade Ukraine was not as easy as one might think due to strong resistance. So it is possible for the Russian military to deploy terrible weapons from its arsenal, for example the TOS-1 Buratino.
The TOS-1 Buratino is a thermobaric rocket, a weapon with a terrifying warhead. When a thermobaric vacuum bomb exploded, the oxygen at the point of explosion was sucked in and killed people in the vicinity, some with invisible injuries to their bodies.
Quoted from the Mirror, the TOS-1 Buratino has reportedly been deployed by Russia to the Ukrainian border from Belarus. But so far there has been no clear sign that Russia is actually using it or has any intention of doing so.
The TOS-1 Buratino weapon system is mounted on top of the T-72 tank. The rocket launcher can hold up to 30 thermobaric bombs.
The technology was created in the 1980s and is not exclusively Russia, countries like the United States are also developing it. When fired, the explosion spreads a 'chemical cloud' in the air, like a lethal deodorant spray.
These gas 'clouds' can seep everywhere, into buildings and beyond, before a secondary explosion then ignites the 'cloud', causing a large and long-lasting explosion. The explosion can kill humans horribly, even body armor is useless.
"The TOS-1 rocket barrage will obliterate anything within 200 to 300 meters of the blast zone," said military expert Sebastian Roblin.
In addition, outside the blast zone but still close enough, the intense pressure waves generated from the explosion can crush bones, damage eyes, cause internal bleeding, damage ears, digestion, and other internal organs. Oxygen can be absorbed from the lungs so that the victim collapses and dies.
"Those at the point of explosion will be crushed. Others will suffer many internal and invisible injuries, from ruptured eardrums, damaged lungs and possibly blindness," the CIA said.
So far there is no evidence that Russia has used these weapons in Ukraine. In previous conflicts, such as the 1999 Chechen war, TOS-1 was used and caused many deaths.