• Non-conventional weapons are often used in conflicts.
• In the case of Ukraine, there are reports of the use of cluster bombs and thermobaric weapons.
• It is civilians who pay the heaviest price.
• The nuclear threat brandished by Putin risks triggering a new arms race.

The war in the age of social networks is also a war of images and information. Many of the photographs and videos being published (after filtering out the numerous fakes circulating for propaganda purposes) can help us understand what kind of war we are facing. The impression, in this sense, is that what is tearing Ukraine apart is not a "conventional" conflict. That is, one conducted within the bounds of the "norms" that are supposed to govern the methods armies use in the field — norms that, in practice, mark the boundary between the use of force and war crimes.

The protection of civilians, non-conventional wars, ballistic missiles

The aim of the body of rules, written and unwritten, on armed conflict is, primarily, to safeguard civilians as much as possible. That is, according to international humanitarian law, all those present on the ground who are not taking part in the conflict. This means, for example, refraining from bombing residential areas and focusing exclusively on military targets. Refraining from destroying infrastructure essential to the life of the population — such as clinics, hospitals, schools, homes and places of worship. And, of course, using weapons that can be controlled with precision (even though it is impossible to rule out errors with certainty: the so-called "collateral damage", a term that has always attracted criticism). But also weapons that do not pose objective risks to the safety and health of civilians.

Given that the use of weapons always brings death and devastation, respect for international rules in military operations should therefore make it possible to avoid what are known as "dirty wars". Hence the question: what do the reports coming out of Ukraine tell us? According to several international humanitarian organisations, the soldiers sent by Moscow have shown little regard for the "cleanliness" of their operations.

Amnesty International has explained that "the attacks have targeted protected sites, such as hospitals and residential buildings. Russian forces have struck indiscriminately — using, for example, ballistic missiles, which have a very wide impact zone — even in densely populated areas. They have also used cluster bombs."

What cluster bombs are and why 110 countries have banned these weapons

These weapons have made headlines during numerous conflicts. Nato itself made extensive use of such munitions during the 1999 military operation in Kosovo (in which Italy also participated). The Atlantic Alliance was also accused of having fired missiles coated with depleted uranium. A substantial Red Cross report noted that at the time 1,392 cluster bombs were dropped, containing 289,000 smaller submunitions.

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Some instances of violence that might meet the criteria have been captured on phones. Analysts have videos of cluster bombs in downtown Kharkiv and even an attack on a kindergarten in Okhtyrka econ.trib.al/g8DIGUT

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This is, in fact, the defining characteristic of such weapons, also known as cluster bombs. They are munitions that, once detonated, release dozens of smaller explosives. This immediately makes it practically impossible to spare non-military targets, given the breadth of the area struck. Furthermore, many of these bombs remain unexploded on the ground, making them effectively equivalent to anti-personnel mines. For this reason, such weapons were banned by the 2008 Oslo Treaty, to which 110 nations have adhered (but not Russia). Just as chemical and bacteriological weapons are banned — weapons that are suspected of having been used in the war in Syria.

As always in these cases, the attacking party denies the use of non-conventional means. Moscow's Defence Ministry has stated that it is using only high-precision guided weapons. "A false claim," Amnesty continues. "The munitions being used have, on the contrary, a wide impact radius. Moreover, in the early days of the conflict our research teams documented the fact that even so-called conventional weapons struck civilians." Confirmation, if any were needed, that speaking of "clean wars" remains an oxymoron regardless.

Amnesty and Human Rights Watch's reports on non-conventional weapons

The non-governmental organisation cites, for example, the case of a hospital in Vuhledar, in the Donetsk region, struck by a ballistic missile of the "9M79 Tochka" type. A cluster bomb, meanwhile, hit a nursery school and kindergarten in Okhtyrka, "killing three civilians and a child."

Another NGO, Human Rights Watch, also confirmed the attack on Vuhledar, reporting four civilians killed, ten wounded and damage to the healthcare facility. It added that the missile in question was reportedly equipped with cluster bombs of the 9N123 type. "Russian forces," said Steve Goose, a director at HRW, "must stop using cluster bombs and carrying out indiscriminate and unlawful attacks." According to the organisation Handicap International, moreover, cluster bombs — being inherently imprecise — cause civilian casualties in 98 per cent of cases. This is because between 5 and 40 per cent of the "submunitions" remain unexploded after impact.

What thermobaric bombs are, already used by the Nazis

These are not, however, the only non-conventional weapons suspected of being used in Ukraine. On Monday 28 February, the European nation's ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, accused Moscow of also having deployed thermobaric bombs. This was said to have been confirmed by the presence — noted by several local media outlets — of multiple rocket launchers of the Tos-1A type, known as "Solntsepek", designed precisely for this type of munition. Some videos were also said to have confirmed their use.

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What is a vacuum or thermobaric bomb? bit.ly/348ZzyE

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Thermobaric bombs are particularly powerful. They combine several technologies: they contain liquid and powdered fuels connected to a series of explosive charges. When the first detonation occurs, the "tank" is opened at a certain altitude; a second explosion then produces a wave of fire capable of raising the temperature to as high as three thousand degrees Celsius — up to twice as high as a conventional weapon.

Nor is this a new development: thermobaric bombs were first used during the Second World War by the Nazi army. Russia itself has also deployed them in Afghanistan and Chechnya. The United States, meanwhile, has used them in the wars in Vietnam and in Afghanistan itself.

But the non-conventional weapon par excellence is, of course, the most feared of all: the atomic bomb. Russian president Vladimir Putin has raised the spectre of a nuclear conflict, placing his country's deterrent forces on high alert. What is known is that the Russian Federation possesses 5,977 nuclear warheads, of which around 1,500 are retired or ready to be decommissioned. Experts also indicate that a similar number are deployed and, theoretically, ready for use.

The Satan 2 super-missile and the spectre of a new arms race

Among the weapons at Putin's disposal, there is also the missile "RS-28 Sarmat", nicknamed Satan 2. A devastating and terrifying weapon, with a range of 10,000 kilometres and capable of carrying twelve nuclear warheads. In other words, it is capable of razing an entire nation to the ground. The missile had been tested in 2016. According to the state news agency Tass, it is even equipped with specific technology capable of evading radar surveillance. This would make it "invulnerable".

All of this appears to be alarming Western diplomatic circles. French president Emmanuel Macron has announced an increase in defence investment. Germany has allocated 100 billion euros for this purpose. And on 11 and 12 March, European heads of state and government will meet in Versailles precisely to agree on a common strategy. One of the long-term effects of the war in Ukraine could, unfortunately, be the start of a new arms race.