Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has stated that Russia would respond if the United States supplied cluster bombs to Ukraine, Radio Liberty reports.
Shoigu emphasized that if Ukraine were to receive cluster munitions, Russian forces would be compelled to use the same weaponry against the Ukrainian army. He further highlighted that such a decision by the American leadership would contribute to the protraction of the conflict.
Shoigu confirmed that Russia possesses cluster bombs as a precautionary measure. However, recognizing the potential harm to civilian populations, Moscow has refrained from using them in "special military operations," he added.
Cluster munitions, which consist of containers containing numerous smaller bombs, can be deployed via aircraft, artillery, rocket launchers, or naval weapons. These munitions are designed to open at a predetermined height, dispersing the contained ammunition over a specified area through a timed detonation closer to the ground.
The controversy surrounding cluster munitions stems from their wide impact, which can endanger non-combat areas. According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, between 10% and 40% of these munitions are lethal, and unexploded ordnance poses a long-term risk for civilians, lasting years or even decades.
Concerns regarding cluster munitions' persistence have been raised due to their failure to explode even 50 years after being used in conflicts such as Laos and Vietnam. This has led to calls for a comprehensive ban on these weapons.
The majority of countries worldwide have already prohibited the use, stockpiling, production, and transfer of cluster munitions through the Convention on Cluster Munitions. However, 71 countries, including the United States, Ukraine, and Russia, have not joined this convention, thereby remaining outside the ban.
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