Shoigu threatened Ukraine with the use of cluster munitions

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that if cluster munitions are supplied to Ukraine, the Russian army will start using them on the battlefield.

Shoigu called this measure “forced” and “retaliatory”, emphasized that at the moment Russia “restrained and refrains” from using cluster munitions, as it understands “what a threat they pose to the civilian population.”

At the same time, the Ukrainian authorities claim that since the beginning of the full-scale war, the Russian army has repeatedly used cluster munitions. Moscow denies this.

• In early July, the United States announced a new military aid package for Ukraine totaling $800 million. As stated, it will include cluster ammunition. The authorities of a number of states, including Great Britain, have expressed concern about the possibility of such deliveries, since such ammunition poses a danger to the civilian population. Great Britain is one of the 123 countries that have signed the Convention on cluster munitions, which prohibits their production or use.
• The National Security Adviser of the US President, Jake Sullivan, explained the supply of cluster munitions by the fact that it is an “interim option for the time of increasing the production of artillery shells in the US”. He assured that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will use them “on their territory, minimizing risks for their own population.” Ukraine also promises that it will not use these weapons in areas with a civilian population, and will strictly control their use.