In a controversial move, President Biden has authorized the transfer of U.S.-supplied cluster munitions to Ukraine, and now these weapons have arrived, according to a confirmation from a top military officer on Thursday. CNN was the first to report that a Ukrainian general acknowledged the receipt of the weapons, although they have not been used in combat yet.
Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, joint staff director for operations, affirmed, “There are cluster munitions in Ukraine at this time,” during a press briefing on Thursday.
Cluster bombs are highly contentious due to the serious risk they pose to civilians, which is why over 100 nations have banned them. These munitions disperse hundreds of projectiles over a wide area, with some potentially remaining unexploded.
President Biden defended his decision to send the weapons to Ukraine, citing concerns about insufficient ammunition for Ukrainian troops engaged in a large-scale counteroffensive against Russian forces. U.S. and Ukrainian officials argue that the cluster munitions could be a “game changer” in the war, aiding in breaking through Russian defenses.
However, critics including lawmakers in Washington and human rights groups have expressed worries about the transfer, emphasizing the threat to civilian safety that the bombs pose.
On the other hand, U.S. officials claim to have received assurances from Ukrainian officials that the munitions will not be used in areas with civilian populations.
Sims stated, “Our folks in Europe are in constant communication with the Ukrainian leadership on all sorts of thoughts about tactics, techniques, and procedures. We’ve talked with Ukrainian leadership about the employment of cluster munition.”
He further emphasized that Ukraine has no intention of using the cluster munitions near civilian populations, unlike the Russians. Sims said, “The Russians have employed these weapons against civilians in civilian communities, which is a significant difference from what the Ukrainians intend to do. The Ukrainians intend to use cluster munitions in the tactical environment against Russians, not against civilians.”
However, opponents of the weapons argue that what may be an arena of war today could become a civilian area in the future, and unexploded bombs could pose a threat to unsuspecting civilians for years to come, as has been seen in other post-war countries.
“These unexploded cluster munitions will be killing and maiming innocent Ukrainian men, women, and children for decades to come, long after the war — we pray — has ended,” former President Trump stated in a recent statement.
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