Washington delivers cluster bombs to Ukraine's military

The Ukrainian army has received cluster bombs that the United States pledged to provide to support its counter-offensive to reclaim areas controlled by Russian forces, according to officials in Washington and Kyiv.

Ukrainian Army Commander Oleksandr Tarnavsky said in an interview with CNN, "We have just received them, and we have not used them yet, but they are capable of radically changing the battlefield."

Last week, the United States announced that it would send cluster bombs to Ukraine despite concerns about the long-term risks to civilians.

Tarnavsky added, "The enemy also realizes that by obtaining these munitions, we will have the upper hand." He explained that the Ukrainian forces would not use these munitions in densely populated areas.

He continued, "The Russians believe that we will use them in all front-line areas... That is a mistake."

Later on Thursday, General Douglas Sims, a spokesman for the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed the delivery of these munitions. He told reporters, "Cluster munitions are now in Ukraine."

Responding to a question about the slow progress of the Ukrainian counter-offensive, Sims said, "This is a tough war, and it is being fought in a difficult field." He considered the actions of the Ukrainian forces with all the factors taken into account as "remarkable."

US President Joe Biden said that the decision was "very difficult," but he emphasized that Ukraine needed additional ammunition to replenish its depleted stockpile.

Controversial weapons can scatter hundreds of small explosive devices that may remain in the ground without detonating, posing a risk to civilians after the conflict ends.

Cluster munitions are banned in many countries, especially in Europe, under the 2008 Oslo Convention, of which neither Russia, the United States, nor Ukraine is a party.

The Kremlin stated that it would take "countermeasures" if Ukraine used these weapons against Russian forces.

 

 

 

 

AFP