The United States officially announced on Friday that it will send banned large-scale cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of a security assistance package. Ukraine said the move would have an “extraordinary psycho-emotional impact” on the Russian occupation forces, Reuters reports. Thus, an important threshold has been crossed in the type of weapons offered to Kyiv to defend against Russia.
Thus, the information reported by AP yesterday is confirmed, allegedly the Biden administration has decided to supply Ukraine with cluster bombs.
“We recognize that cluster munitions pose a risk of civilian injury from unexploded ordnance,” Sullivan told reporters. “So I put off the decision as long as I could.”
“But there is also a huge risk of civilian harm if Russian troops and tanks take over Ukrainian positions and take over more Ukrainian territory and subjugate more Ukrainian civilians because Ukraine does not have enough artillery,” he said.
Why cluster bombs are banned by more than 100 countries
Cluster bombs are banned in more than 100 countries. They usually drop large numbers of smaller bombs that can kill over a large area, and those that don’t explode remain dangerous decades after the conflict ends.
“Ukraine has given written assurances that it will use them very carefully” to minimize risks to civilians, Sullivan said.
Human rights groups oppose Washington’s decision, but the munitions could give impetus to Ukraine’s counteroffensive to retake territory captured by Russian forces after their February 2022 invasion.
Cluster bombs (BASMs) consist of a shell-like container containing smaller explosive projectiles called submunitions. With very low accuracy, they can hit many civilians.
Their use and transfer is prohibited by the Oslo Convention of 2008, signed by a large part of Western countries.
A 2009 law bans the export of U.S. cluster munitions with explosive rejections greater than 1%, covering virtually all U.S. military stockpiles. Biden could lift the ban on these munitions, as US President Donald Trump did in January 2021, to allow the export of cluster munition technology to South Korea.
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, some cluster munitions fail to explode 40% of the time.
Source: Hot News
James Springer is a renowned author and opinion writer, known for his bold and thought-provoking articles on a wide range of topics. He currently works as a writer at 247 news reel, where he uses his unique voice and sharp wit to offer fresh perspectives on current events. His articles are widely read and shared and has earned him a reputation as a talented and insightful writer.