US plans to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions - The New York Times

The US authorities are going to announce the supply of cluster munitions to Ukraine. about this The New York Times writes , citing a senior official in the administration of US President Joe Biden.

Previously, Washington refused to transfer such weapons to Kyiv, fearing that cluster munitions would pose a threat to civilians. In turn, CBS News reports that the US authorities may make this decision this week. The publication notes that Ukraine needs these shells for the counteroffensive, which is moving "slower than expected."

Cluster artillery shells, rockets and aerial bombs are loaded with dozens or even hundreds of smaller fragmentation munitions that disperse during the explosion, hitting large areas. Due to their indiscriminate nature, such weapons are prohibited by the relevant international agreement, which has been signed by more than a hundred countries. At the same time, neither the US, nor Russia, nor Ukraine has yet acceded to this treaty.

The human rights organization Human Rights Watch warned the US authorities against supplying cluster munitions to Ukraine, recalling that civilians had previously been injured as a result of the use of such weapons by the Ukrainian military in Izyum.

So, according to human rights activists, Ukraine used cluster munitions during the counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region in the fall of 2022. As a result, in addition to the Russian military, at least eight civilians were killed and another 15 were injured. At the same time, according to the organization, the total number of civilians killed and injured as a result of attacks by cluster munitions could be much higher.

To get top news faster, subscribe to our telegram and twitter .