US To Provide Controversial Cluster Bombs To Ukraine Amid Concerns

In its $800 million military aid package, the US will likely include cluster bombs despite the Human Right Watch group's call to stop providing them to Kyi

A man stands next to cluster bomb carriers he collected from his fields in a village Zelenyj Hai, Ukraine in November 2022.

Source : Getty

The United States will include the controversial cluster bomb in its new military aid package worth up to $800 million to Ukraine. This comes despite widespread concern that the munitions can cause casualties for years to come. Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Ukraine and Russia to stop using these bombs and urged the US to stop providing them to Kyiv. Cluster bombs, once released, break apart in the air and release a large number of ‘bomblets’ across a widespread area. These bomblets detonate once it hits the ground but do not always explode, becoming a risk to unwary civilians, Reuters reported.

“Cluster munitions used by Russia and Ukraine are killing civilians now and will continue to do so for many years,” said Mary Wareham, acting arms director at Human Rights Watch as per Reuters. “Both sides should immediately stop using them and not try to get more of these indiscriminate weapons.”

These cluster bomb rockets were first used in World War II, after which they were banned in over 120 countries under the Convention on Cluster Munitions in 2008. However, Russia, Ukraine and the US have not signed that treaty although a 2009 law bans the US from exporting cluster munitions with bomblet failure rates above 1 percent, which covers virtually the entire US military stockpile. Biden, however, can override such prohibitions in cases deemed in the interests of US national security.

Kyiv has urged members of the US Congress to press the White House to approve sending over cluster bombs. US officials say cluster bombs would be effective for Ukraine against Russian forces in strong defensive positions.

On Thursday, the White House said that providing cluster munitions to Ukraine is under “active consideration”, US officials told Reuters and that the Biden administration on Friday, is expected to announce the new weapons aid package that will include cluster bombs.

Amid concerns US officials said that munitions provided to Ukraine will have fewer unexploded rounds that could later result in unintended civilian deaths or “dud rate”.

The Ukrainian attacks killed at least eight civilians and wounded at least 15 civilians in Russian-controlled areas in and near the eastern Ukrainian city of Izium, Human Rights Watch said, as per Reuters.