The US will send Ukraine a cluster munitions package to help in its counteroffensive against Russia.

The White House said it had deferred the decision for as long as it could because of the risk of civilian harm from unexploded ordnance.

Ukraine has been asking for the weapons for months amid an ammunition shortage.

Cluster munitions - which are banned by more than 100 countries - are a class of weapons that contain multiple explosive bomblets called submunitions.

US officials had reportedly been hesitant to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions as they can kill indiscriminately over a wide area, threatening civilians. The US has a stockpile of these cluster bombs, which were first developed during World War II.

The munitions are controversial because of their high failure rates, meaning unexploded bomblets can linger on the ground for years and possibly detonate later on.

US law prohibits the transfer of cluster munitions with bomblet failure rates higher than 1% - meaning more than 1% of the bomblets in the weapon do not explode - but President Joe Biden is able to bypass this rule.

Defence Department officials told reporters on Thursday the Biden administration was considering sending cluster munitions with a failure rate lower than 2.35%.

The Pentagon noted that Russia has already been using cluster bombs in Ukraine with even higher failure rates. A United Nations investigation found Ukraine has likely used them as well, though the country has denied doing so.

Officials are planning to send artillery shells to Ukraine, with each containing 88 separate bomblets, according to US media reports. They would be fired from Howitzer artillery weapons already deployed by the Ukrainian army.

The aid package also includes Bradley and Stryker fighting vehicles, air defence missiles and anti-mine equipment, officials told reporters.

Human rights groups have urged Russia and Ukraine not to use cluster munitions and have asked the US not to supply them.

In a statement on Friday, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights once again called on the countries not to use cluster bombs, arguing they were dangerous.

"Cluster munitions scatter small bomblets over a wide area, many of which fail to explode immediately," said office spokesperson Marta Hurtado. "They can kill and maim years later. That's why use should stop immediately."

Some US lawmakers have also asked the Biden administration not to send the weapons, arguing their humanitarian costs outweigh their benefits in the battlefield.

Defence Department official Laura Cooper told Congress last month that military analysts had found that cluster bombs would be "useful, especially against dug-in Russian positions".

The Biden administration's new weapons package is worth $800 million (£626.5m), CBS News reported.

Lies

Nlfpmod Mynd44

For those that hate long writeups.

The U.S wants to send cluster munitions to ukraine and this is causing alot of controversy because cluster munitions are weapons that release many smaller bombs 💣,



over a large area, often killing or injuring civilians who are not the intended targets. They also leave behind unexploded bombs that can harm people for years after the conflict. 🙁

That’s why more than 100 countries, including NATO allies have agreed to ban them.

ItooWorWor:
Lies

True

ItooWorWor:
Lies

Listen to news buddy.

I don't understand US and the West. Why are they saying Ukraine is running out of ammunition when all the western countries are sending weapons to Ukraine since last year.
If they send cluster bomb to Ukraine, Putin I will have every reason to use tactical nuke.

Nelson21:
Nlfpmod Mynd44

For those that hate long writeups.

The U.S wants to send cluster munitions to ukraine and this is causing alot of controversy because cluster munitions are weapons that release many smaller bombs 💣,



over a large area, often killing or injuring civilians who are not the intended targets. They also leave behind unexploded bombs that can harm people for years after the conflict. 🙁

That’s why more than 100 countries, including NATO allies have agreed to ban them.

Some of the bomblets can just be there for some time and just explode unexpectedly. Very dangerous weapon to use. But I read somewhere that Russia has used some in kharkiv. Don't know how true that is anyway.

DaveHarry:

Some of the bomblets can just be there for some time and just explode unexpectedly. Very dangerous weapon to use. But I read somewhere that Russia has used some in kharkiv. Don't know how true that is anyway.

Russia did not use any in Ukraine, it's all propaganda...
Putin already told US the consequence, I pity the Ukrainian..

It is a desperate thing which holds no water.

BentizilL2:

Russia did not use any in Ukraine, it's all propaganda...
Putin already told US the consequence, I pity the Ukrainian..

The US would never be stupid enough to send an unconventional weapon to Ukraine for them to use it against Russia, because it would only give Putin reasonable excuses and pretexts to use any form of unconventional weapon against Ukraine and ww3 could be triggered if that happens .

mysticwarrior:
The US would never be stupid enough to send an unconventional weapon to Ukraine for them to use it against Russia, because it would only give Putin reasonable excuses and pretexts to use any form of unconventional weapon against Ukraine and ww3 could be triggered if that happens .

Nlfpmod Mynd44

The US have said "it's a difficult decision" which must be carried out