Relevance. Propagation of a detonation wave in a bubble liquid is a unique phenomenon, as the bubble detonation is initiated and propagated in the systems with very low energy content, but at the same time it has common features for all detonation waves (self-sustaining stationary process). Since bubble media are structurally different from chemically active homogeneous media (liquid, gaseous, solid explosives) and heterogeneous (gas-particles, foam, etc.), detonation in bubbling media has a number of features related to the specifics bubble medium. Bubble liquids are a working medium in various industries related to oil refining, metallurgy, etc. In some cases, the bubble liquids are a working medium for technological processes (for example, liquid-phase oxidation of various gases), in others - an element of the explosion-proof system (safety fluid closures), therefore, it is necessary to develop scientific principles for selecting explosion-proof modes of technological processes in gas-liquid media and operation of liquid safety gates. The aim of the research is to study the features of initiation and propagation of detonation in a bubble liquid with inhomogeneous distribution of explosive bubbles along the section of the tube. The object of research is bubble liquids containing an explosive gas inside the bubbles. The research method is based on solving a system of partial differential equations. The results of the research showed that the non-uniform distribution of explosive bubbles along the tube cross section leads to a signi-ficant decrease in the amplitude of the initial wave, which can initiate detonation. In addition, it was found that when a detonation wave is propagated because of the preload, the sites remain unconfined.