The United States has confirmed the arrival of cluster munitions in Ukraine, as part of their efforts to provide critical ammunition to bolster Ukraine’s offensive against Russian forces.
The decision to supply these munitions, which open in the air and release smaller bomblets, was deliberated by US leaders for months before President Joe Biden made the final call last week.
In an attempt to mitigate civilian casualties, US officials stated that they would provide a version of the munitions with a reduced “dud rate” to minimize the number of unexploded bomblets.
While the specific quantity remains undisclosed, thousands of rounds are expected to be delivered.
The delivery of cluster munitions has sparked criticism from human rights organizations, highlighting the weapon’s history of causing unintended civilian deaths. According to the Cluster Munition Monitor, at least 149 civilians were killed or injured worldwide by these munitions in 2021.
Notably, more than 120 countries have signed an international convention prohibiting the production and use of cluster munitions, including many nations, excluding the US, Russia, and Ukraine.
Both Russian and Ukrainian forces have previously deployed cluster munitions during the ongoing conflict.
Ukrainian regional officials have accused Russian forces of deliberately targeting civilians with these weapons.
It remains unclear whether Ukrainian troops have utilized the recently delivered cluster munitions.
