According to media reports, the US government is planning to deliver cluster munitions to Ukraine. This was reported on Thursday, among other things, by New York Times citing unnamed government sources. The weapons are banned internationally, and 110 countries have signed an agreement against their use.
What is cluster munition?
Cluster munitions are rockets and bombs that shatter over the target, releasing many smaller explosive devices. It consists of metal containers, so-called carrier bombs, which contain up to 1000 small explosive devices, so-called bomblets, depending on the model. Cluster munitions can be used in aerial bombs, artillery shells or cruise missiles. In all cases, it works according to the same principle: At a certain height, the carrier bomb opens and distributes the bomblets it contains over a target area. Cluster munitions therefore cover a significantly larger area than conventional ammunition.
According to the organization Handicap International escaped with a volley of cluster munitions Mars MLRS.Distribute rocket launchers up to 8000 bomblets over an area of about 50 soccer fields. Weapon systems capable of launching cluster munition missiles, such as the Mars MLRS from German production or the Himarssystems from the USA were delivered to Ukraine last winter. According to US media, the United States only wants to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions that can be fired from the ground with such and similar systems.
Why is cluster munitions so controversial?
Cluster munitions are internationally banned primarily because of their devastating consequences for the civilian population. Because of the scattering over the target area, civilian facilities can also be hit and civilians killed. The metal parts of the exploding bomblets can pierce even armored vehicles. The Federal Agency for Political Education writes: “Anyone who is in the attack zone has a high probability of being killed or seriously wounded.”
However, the greatest danger of cluster munitions is their high dud rate. Depending on the type and age, thirty to forty percent of bomblets do not explode on first impact, writes the organization Handicap International. The remains are highly sensitive and can explode at the slightest touch. They are similar to land mines, but have more explosive power and are therefore more deadly.
Why is the US still considering supplying cluster munitions to Ukraine?
US President Biden has approved the supply of cluster munitions to Ukraine, US media report. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had repeatedly called for this ammunition in order to kill as many Russian soldiers as possible. According to some experts, the ammunition could help Ukraine in its counter-offensive. There she has to overcome deep defense lines of the Russian army.
“I would like to note that the Russians have already used cluster munitions on the battlefield,” Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder said. The USA had cluster munitions in their stocks. Ryder pointed out that older ammunition had a higher rate of duds. “We would carefully select bullets with a lower dud rate for which we have current test data,” Ryder said. According to Ryder, the dud rate of the ammunition does not exceed 2.35 percent.
What does international law say about cluster munitions?
International law scholars do not agree on this issue. Many argue that the Protocol to the 1949 Geneva Convention prohibits the use of cluster munitions. So-called “indiscriminate attacks”, in which it is not possible to distinguish between military and civilian targets due to the combat method chosen, are prohibited. However, cluster munitions are not explicitly mentioned there.
Since 2010 there has also been an internationally binding convention on the ban on cluster bombs, the so-called Oslo Convention. It bans not only the use of the bombs, but also the manufacture, possession, acquisition and transfer of the munitions. According to the Foreign Office 110 states are party to the convention. Another 13 have signed the treaties but have not yet ratified them. Neither the US nor Russia nor Ukraine are part of the agreement.
In which conflicts has cluster munitions been used in the past?
Cluster munitions have been used in 43 countries by at least 23 governments since the end of World War II, according to Handicap International. Among them were the USA, Great Britain and the Netherlands. It was used in the Vietnam War, in Iraq between 1991 and 2006, but also in Kosovo and Afghanistan. More recently, it has been used in Syria and Yemen. Russia also repeatedly used cluster munitions in its attack on Ukraine. As of August 2022 alone, Handicap International reported nearly 700 cluster bomb victims in Ukraine.