Cluster bomb use surges eightfold amid Ukraine war

A campaign organisation stated on Tuesday that the number of people killed or injured by cluster bombs grew eightfold last year to more than 1,000, owing mostly to their deployment in the Ukraine war, mainly by Russia. Cluster bombs, which are prohibited in over 100 nations, are launched from the ground or by aircraft and burst in mid-air, spreading tiny ‘bomblets’ over a large area. Survivors frequently suffer serious injuries from blasts and burns, which can result in life-long medical demands, and activists are particularly concerned about unexploded bombs that stay on the battlefield long after combat has ended. According to the Cluster Munitions Coalition campaign organisation, 353 of the 1,172 victims perished last year. This is the group’s highest level since it began producing yearly reports 14 years ago. According to the research, virtually all of the casualties were civilians, with three-quarters of them being youngsters who are typically lured to play with unexploded bomblets. In Ukraine, it was claimed that Russia deployed cluster bombs “repeatedly,” whereas Ukraine employed them “to a lesser extent.” It didn’t give a breakdown. The study covers last year and excludes Ukraine’s use of cluster bombs from the US, which Kyiv began receiving in July. Kyiv says it is using them only against Russian troops at the frontline. Russia has denied using them at all but has threatened to do so in response. Unlike in past years where casualties have nearly always been caused by the delayed explosion of bomb remnants, most of the 2022 casualties were from live bombs, the report said. Both Moscow and Kyiv deny targeting civilians in the war that began with Russia’s invasion in February 2022, during which Russian forces razed several Ukrainian cities to the ground. Neither country is party to a 2008 convention that prohibits the use of cluster munitions, nor is the United States. In deciding to send them to Ukraine this year, Washington said the weapons have legitimate uses on the battlefield against military targets and would save lives if they hastened the end of the war. It also said its cluster munitions leave behind far fewer unexploded bomblets than those used by Russia. The report documented the first known use of cluster munitions in Myanmar last year, as well as use in Azerbaijan, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.