According to US media reports, the United States is planning to send Ukraine a package of cluster munitions to aid its counteroffensive efforts against Russia. Ukraine has been requesting these weapons for months due to an ammunition shortage. Cluster munitions are a class of weapons that contain multiple explosive submunitions, also known as bomblets. However, over 100 countries have banned the use of cluster munitions due to their potential harm to civilians.
The Biden administration is expected to announce the cluster munitions package on Friday, as per reports from the BBC’s US partner CBS News. Initially, US officials had been hesitant to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions due to concerns about civilian casualties. The US possesses a stockpile of cluster bombs, which were first developed during World War II.
Cluster munitions are controversial due to their high failure rates, which result in unexploded bomblets remaining on the ground and potentially detonating later. US law prohibits the transfer of cluster munitions with a failure rate higher than 1%, but President Joe Biden has the authority to waive this rule. Defence Department officials stated that the Biden administration is considering sending cluster munitions with a failure rate lower than 2.35%.
It should be noted that Russia has reportedly been using cluster bombs in Ukraine with even higher failure rates. Human rights groups have urged both Russia and Ukraine to refrain from using cluster munitions, and they have called on the US not to supply these weapons.
Some US lawmakers have also voiced their opposition to sending cluster munitions, citing the humanitarian costs that outweigh any potential benefits on the battlefield. However, defence officials have argued that cluster bombs would be useful, especially against fortified Russian positions.
The reported value of the Biden administration’s weapons package for Ukraine is $800 million (£626,500), as per CBS News. The decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine raises concerns about the potential humanitarian impact and adds to the ongoing debate surrounding their use in conflict situations.
