Ukraine has begun firing cluster bombs supplied by the US against Russian forces, the Washington Post quoted an unnamed Ukrainian official as saying.
“Ukraine has begun using cluster munitions against Russian forces in the South to break through the fortified Russian defenses that have slowed down Kyiv’s counter-attack,” the Washington Post on July 20 quoted an unnamed official as saying. of Ukraine said.
The official added that cluster bombs were used to destroy Russian trenches. In addition, he did not provide further details.
The Ukrainian military has not yet commented on the information.
Earlier this week, Oleksandr Bakulin, commander of Ukraine’s 57th Brigade, said that Ukraine needed cluster bombs to “cause maximum damage to enemy infantry”. On the other hand, he admits this weapon will not solve all problems on the battlefield.
In addition to positions on the southeastern front, Ukraine can use cluster munitions near Bakhmut, a city in the eastern Donetsk region.
On July 13, Ukraine’s military confirmed it had received cluster bombs in a new batch of aid from the US, just a week after Washington announced the controversial aid decision.
Ryan Brobst, a researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracy (FDD), commented: “Cluster munitions are more effective than conventional munitions because they cause more extensive damage. This has important implications for Ukraine. as they tried to break through the fortified Russian defensive positions.”
Initially, the United States considered this weapon unnecessary for Kyiv. However, recently they have argued that cluster bombs can be useful for Ukraine in destroying the Russian fortification system, overcoming the disadvantage of manpower and artillery.
Cluster bombs are weapons with wide area damage, helping to hit multiple targets at the same time. However, these warheads also have a certain “flat” ratio. The spray can linger in the attacked lands and endanger people for decades to come.
The use of cluster bombs has been banned by more than 120 countries globally. Some allies, including Germany, Britain, and Canada, have opposed the US decision to supply cluster bombs to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Washington said that this was an extremely difficult decision and was carefully considered and consulted with allies.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said cluster bombs would help Ukraine maintain pressure on Russian forces until Western weapons production capacity increased to meet Kyiv’s needs. He also emphasized that Ukraine has committed in writing not to use this weapon to attack Russian territory or avoid using it in residential areas.
However, Russia warned it could use cluster bombs in Ukraine in response. “Russia has a ready stockpile of cluster munitions and munitions. They are much more effective than the US cluster munitions,” said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
