KYIV: Ukraine’s armed forces have received US-promised cluster munitions to help boost Kiev’s slow-moving counteroffensive, senior military officials from both countries said.
“We’ve got them, we haven’t used them yet, but they can radically change (the battlefield),” Ukrainian army commander Oleksandr Tarnavskyi told US broadcaster CNN.
The United States last week said it would provide Ukraine with cluster munitions to help fight against invading Russian forces, despite concerns about the long-term risk to civilians from bomblets that fail to explode.
“The enemy also understands that we will have an advantage by having this ammunition,” Tarnavsky said, adding that the Ukrainian military would not deploy the weapon in heavily populated areas.
US Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims later confirmed the news, saying, “Cluster munitions are in Ukraine.”
Asked about the slower-than-expected progress in Ukraine’s counteroffensive, he told reporters, “It’s a tough war, it’s in really tough terrain, it’s under fire.”
“When you consider all that, it’s pretty impressive.”
US President Joe Biden It said the decision to provide cluster munitions was “very difficult” but stressed that Ukraine needed additional ammunition to replenish its depleted stocks.
Many countries — particularly in Europe — that signed the 2008 Oslo Convention, to which Russia, the United States and Ukraine are not parties, have banned the controversial weapons.
The Kremlin said it would take “defensive measures” if Ukraine deployed weapons against its troops.
“We’ve got them, we haven’t used them yet, but they can radically change (the battlefield),” Ukrainian army commander Oleksandr Tarnavskyi told US broadcaster CNN.
The United States last week said it would provide Ukraine with cluster munitions to help fight against invading Russian forces, despite concerns about the long-term risk to civilians from bomblets that fail to explode.
“The enemy also understands that we will have an advantage by having this ammunition,” Tarnavsky said, adding that the Ukrainian military would not deploy the weapon in heavily populated areas.
US Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims later confirmed the news, saying, “Cluster munitions are in Ukraine.”
Asked about the slower-than-expected progress in Ukraine’s counteroffensive, he told reporters, “It’s a tough war, it’s in really tough terrain, it’s under fire.”
“When you consider all that, it’s pretty impressive.”
US President Joe Biden It said the decision to provide cluster munitions was “very difficult” but stressed that Ukraine needed additional ammunition to replenish its depleted stocks.
Many countries — particularly in Europe — that signed the 2008 Oslo Convention, to which Russia, the United States and Ukraine are not parties, have banned the controversial weapons.
The Kremlin said it would take “defensive measures” if Ukraine deployed weapons against its troops.