The controversial weapons have been involved in attacks on civilians in Donbass and on Russian journalists, according to Moscow
Ukraine has submitted its first report to Washington on the use of cluster munitions against Russia, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing sources. Russia has accused Kiev of targeting civilians with the weapons, which are banned in more than 100 countries.
According to an unnamed Ukrainian official interviewed by the network, the document Ukraine sent to the Pentagon included data on the number of rounds fired and targets claimed as destroyed. The CNN source, however, declined to provide any specific figures or other details.
Cluster munitions deliveries were approved by US President Joe Biden in early July. At the time, he described the move as a stopgap measure, as both Ukraine and its Western suppliers were running short of ordinary shells. The decision, however, prompted a backlash by many US allies, including the UK, Canada, and Spain. Moscow has also condemned the move, with Russian President Vladimir Putin describing it as a potential “crime.”
The devices are banned in more than 100 countries because when they explode, they release a large number of bomblets across a wide area which often fail to detonate, posing a serious threat to civilians for many years after the fighting is over.
When the US approved the cluster munitions delivery, Ukrainian Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikov said that Kiev would abide by a set of rules. He promised that the country would not deploy the weapons in an urban environment, keep records of where they were used, and inform the US of their effects. However, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has cast doubt on this claim, suggesting that the current government in Kiev is in no position to deliver on this pledge.
After receiving the controversial munitions, Ukraine has on numerous occasions used them to shell the Russian city of Donetsk, causing civilian deaths, according to local officials. In addition, according to the Russian Defense Ministry, the armaments were responsible for the death of RIA Novosti news agency correspondent Rostislav Zhuravlev in late July, with three other journalists injured in the shelling.
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