The US decision to deliver cluster bombs to Ukraine has been condemned by several human rights organizations. An unknown number of explosive charges are at risk of not exploding when fired, leaving remnants on the ground at risk of acting as mines. – The large surface means that it can indirectly affect civilian infrastructure, says Joakim Huovinen, lieutenant colonel and teacher at the Norwegian Defense Academy. During Friday, Joe Biden confirmed that the US is sending cluster munitions to Ukraine. The controversial cluster munition is banned in over 100 countries, including Sweden, and the decision has been criticized by several human rights organizations. According to a report by the human rights organization Human Rights Watch, both Russia and Ukraine have used cluster munitions in the past in the war. – It turns out that there have been problems with this type of ammunition for previous types, which were used in Iraq and Afghanistan, among others, where up to ten percent did not explode, says Joakim Huovinen. According to the Red Cross, in some cases up to 40 percent of the grenades may fail to explode. “A bit like a mine” Usually the bombs are dropped from an aircraft, from an artillery shell or from a ground robot. When the grenade is fired over the target, it explodes, dropping a number of small explosive charges over a large area. – The large surface means that it can indirectly affect civil infrastructure, which is what has caused the system to be so criticized. It’s a bit like a mine is left behind, says Joakim Huovinen. Joe Biden has stated in an interview with CNN that only 1.5 percent of all bombs are at risk of not being triggered immediately. But it is unclear which number actually applies. – In the modern type of ammunition, there is usually a battery that means that when their service life has ended, they explode by themselves. The question is whether it is the type of ammo you get, or a more modern ammo with a higher probability of triggering directly. Will help Ukraine Joakim Huovinen believes that the new ammunition will be important for Ukraine’s defense, because it will not be necessary to proceed “man to man”. – It has turned out to take a long time to clear these tree curtains, now a couple of grenades may be enough to clear a Russian battle position, he says.
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