On Friday evening, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed that President Joe Biden had approved the delivery of cluster bombs to Ukraine. According to Sullivan, it was a difficult decision, but stated that it was made “in consultation with allies and partners and in consultation with members of Congress” and following a unanimous recommendation from the President’s National Security Task Force.
The issue of cluster munitions is controversial. Several of the US’s allies have signed an international convention that prohibits the use of such weapons.
May affect civilians
Cluster munitions, or so-called multiple weapons, can be used in several different ways. Once fired, the projectile splits into several small explosive parts to cover a larger area than usual, parts that can remain undetonated for years and therefore pose a serious danger to civilians.
– It is controversial because there used to be a large part of these sub-war parts that did not explode, that remained as mines. It has become difficult to clear this terrain as they are extremely sensitive, says lieutenant colonel Johan Huovinen.
In order to soften the reactions of the outside world, the US Department of Defense has said that they will “carefully” select the shells that have the highest probability of exploding.
Both Russia and Ukraine have used cluster munitions during the war, according to the human rights organization Human Rights Watch, which calls on both countries to immediately stop doing so.
Gives the Ukrainians greater reach
According to Johan Huovinen, it is primarily the range of the American systems that the Ukrainian military is looking for.
– In this case, they want to use the ground robot “ATACMS” to reach targets 30 miles away from the front, he says.
Hear Lieutenant Colonel Johan Huovinen talk about cluster munitions in the clip above.