Russia, which itself uses cluster munitions, said on Saturday that the US supply of cluster bombs as aid to Ukraine was an “act of desperation” and showed “weakness” that made Washington “complicit” in civilian deaths caused by the controversial weapon, AFP reported.

“The handover of cluster munitions is a gesture of desperation and recognition of one’s weakness in the context of the failure of the so-called Ukrainian counteroffensive,” the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

Russian diplomacy condemned the “cynical attempt to prolong the agony of the current Ukrainian authorities without concern for civilian casualties” with these bombs, which have low accuracy and kill indiscriminately, scattering small explosive charges before or after impact.

“By providing cluster munitions, Washington will in fact become complicit in the demining and bear full responsibility for the deaths resulting from the explosions, including those of Russian and Ukrainian children,” Moscow continued.

These weapons are banned in a number of countries, in particular in Europe, which signed the Oslo Convention of 2008, which does not include the USA, Ukraine, or Russia.

Their use is highly controversial, as the explosive charges they scatter can cause numerous civilian casualties.

US President Joe Biden said that the decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine was “very difficult”, but “correct”.

“The latest “miracle weapon” that Washington and Kyiv are betting on, without thinking about the serious consequences, will not affect the special military operation in any way,” said the spokeswoman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, The Guardian reports. .

Russian troops used cluster bombs in Ukraine

Russia has not signed the Oslo Convention, and the UN has been concerned about the use of these weapons by Russian forces in populated areas since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine last year.

“The Russians used all kinds of weapons that are 100 times worse than cluster bombs,” a European official said in January 2023, assuring that Ukraine “must win the war.”

Cluster bombs (BASMs) consist of a shell-like container containing smaller explosive projectiles called submunitions. With very low accuracy, they can hit many civilians.

While the US has officially announced that it is sending cluster bombs to Ukraine, which have low accuracy and are highly controversial, Kyiv pledges to adhere to five principles for the use of these munitions, including not using them in cities and on the territory of Russia, and monitor the affected areas, Ukrainian Pravda reports with reference to the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Oleksiy Reznikov.

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