07/07/2023 06:58 (act. 07/07/2023 06:58)
The Russians are said to have used banned cluster munitions ©AFP
US media, citing anonymous government sources, report that Washington is complying with Kiev’s demands for the delivery of internationally banned cluster munitions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly called for this. The Pentagon did not want to confirm this at first. The White House had previously said it was considering transferring cluster munitions to Ukraine.
According to CNN, the plans could be officially announced today, Friday. Cluster munitions are rockets and bombs that explode in the air over the target and scatter or release many small explosive devices – so-called submunitions. The type of ammunition has been criticized because a significant percentage of explosive devices often do not detonate, but remain in place as a dud, endangering the population. Many states have signed a treaty banning cluster munitions. The United States, however, did not sign the agreement.
“I’d like to note that the Russians have already used cluster munitions on the battlefield,” said Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder. The US had cluster munitions in its stockpiles. Ryder pointed out that older ammunition had a higher failure rate. “We carefully selected bullets with the lowest failure rate for which we have current test data,” Ryder said. Human rights organizations have repeatedly criticized the use of cluster munitions in the war in Ukraine.