Ukraine Provided US with Report on Use of Cluster Munitions – CNN

Thursday, 10 August 2023

Ukraine has submitted a report about using American cluster munitions on the battlefield to the Pentagon.

A Ukrainian official states in an interview with CNN the data provided by the US Department of Defense includes both the number of rounds fired and the number of destroyed Russian targets, although the official refused to name these figures.

Kyiv provided the report to Washington in response to its request as part of an agreement to provide Ukraine with artillery shells with cluster munitions, known as DPICMs.

Last month, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov said he planned to submit the report to his counterpart, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin.

On 7 July, the US announced a US$800 million military aid package for Ukraine, which included cluster munitions for the first time.

Washington's aid drew criticism from NGOs and caused concern among several European countries and Canada, as cluster munitions are considered more dangerous to civilians and there is a convention that requires member states to abandon their use and storage.

US President Joe Biden acknowledged that it was not an easy decision for him to approve the transfer of cluster munitions to Ukraine, but he believes it was the right decision in the face of a shortage of artillery shells.

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