What did Ukraine say?
- A Ukrainian army spokesman said, on Thursday, that his country had received cluster munitions.
- The Ukrainian military official confirmed that Kiev has not used these munitions yet.
- Valery Shershin stated in an interview with state television that cluster munitions “are in the hands of our defense forces.”
- He emphasized that these munitions can radically change the battlefield.
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- On July 7, Washington announced that it would send a new package of military aid, including cluster munitions.
- This decision came despite the fact that this weapon is banned by more than 100 countries around the world, including a number of countries allied to Washington.
- Biden considered that the decision to give Ukraine cluster munitions was very difficult.
- Washington says that the purpose of supplying Ukraine with this weapon is to ensure that Russia does not stop the progress of the counterattack that Kiev is currently launching.
What are cluster munitions?
- The International Red Cross website says that cluster munitions are weapons consisting of a container that opens in the air and scatters large numbers of “bomblets,” or explosive submunitions, over a wide area.
- For example, the number of submunitions ranges from several dozen to over 600.
- Cluster munitions can be delivered by aircraft, artillery or missiles.
- Most of the submunitions are intended to detonate on impact. Most of them have the advantage of free falling, meaning that they are not directed individually towards any target.
- Cluster munitions were first used in World War II, and a large proportion of the cluster munitions in stockpiles today were designed for Cold War use.
- Its main purpose was to destroy multiple military targets scattered over a wide area, such as formations of tanks or infantry, and to kill or injure combatants.
Why worry about these ammunition?
- History has shown that large numbers of submunitions do not explode on impact as intended.
- Often, unexploded submunitions explode when handled or moved, posing a grave danger to civilians.
- The presence of these weapons poses a threat to displaced civilians returning to their home countries, and hinders relief and reconstruction efforts, even decades after the end of the wars.
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