White House: Ukraine is using cluster ammunition provided by the United States | Cluster Munitions | Ukraine

As the crisis in Ukraine continues, John Kirby, Coordinator of Strategic Communications at the National Security Council of the United States, said on the 20th that the Ukrainian military has begun using cluster ammunition provided by the United States, which has an impact on the Russian defense formation and operations.

Cluster ammunition has stronger killing power and a greater likelihood of causing civilian casualties than ordinary ammunition, and is banned by more than a hundred countries worldwide. However, the US government's decision two weeks ago to provide Ukraine with this type of ammunition has sparked widespread controversy and concern.

Not lacking in controversy

During a briefing with the media that day, Kirby stated that the United States received preliminary feedback from Ukraine that Ukraine is "effectively" using cluster ammunition, which will have an impact on the Russian defense formation and operations.

According to reports, the Ukrainian army is using cluster ammunition on the front line in southeastern Ukraine, and has been attempting to advance in the area since last month. Next, the Ukrainian army may also use cluster ammunition in the Archomovsk region. Since August 2022, Russia and Ukraine have engaged in fierce competition for the area, and by the end of May, Russia claimed full control of this important town.

US officials also stated that the US is still waiting for the latest news regarding the use of cluster ammunition by the Ukrainian military on the battlefield.

On the 7th of this month, the US government announced a new batch of military aid to Ukraine, including large lethal cluster ammunition classified as prohibited by US law. According to a statement issued by the US Department of Defense, the cluster ammunition for this aid to Ukraine was fired from 155mm caliber howitzers, and the specific quantity has not been disclosed.

About a week later, US Department of Defense officials and Ukrainian military personnel said that the cluster ammunition provided by the United States had arrived in Ukraine. According to American media reports, the United States provided M864 and M483A1 cluster ammunition, with a quantity of over a thousand rounds.

However, given the powerful destructive power of cluster ammunition, this move has caused widespread controversy and concern both inside and outside the United States.

The so-called cluster ammunition refers to airborne bombs or artillery shells made by combining more than ten or even hundreds of small ammunition. After being dropped, small bombs are released in the air on a large scale and detonated when or after touching the ground. The US military has used cluster ammunition in the Vietnam War, Gulf War, Kosovo War, Afghanistan War, and Iraq War.

The Washington Post reported that Ukrainian officials have been demanding to obtain cluster ammunition, believing that these ammunition could make up for the obvious disadvantage of the Ukrainian military in terms of firepower and numbers.

Commander Alexander Silsky of the Ukrainian army in the east told the BBC that the Ukrainian army needs cluster ammunition to "cause maximum damage to enemy infantry.".

Ukrainian military official Alexander Tarnavsky told CNN that cluster ammunition "can greatly change the battlefield situation.".

It is reported that cluster ammunition is very effective in dealing with enemy troops in trenches and defensive positions, as projecting this type of ammunition can make large areas too dangerous, making it impossible for the enemy to move before clearing the bombs.

However, small bombs contained in cluster ammunition may also fail to detonate properly and become duds, posing a long-term threat to the population near the scattered areas. Especially for local children, they may unintentionally pick up these small bombs and detonate them several years after the conflict ends.

Given the danger of cluster ammunition, US law prohibits the production, use, or transfer to other countries of cluster ammunition with a dud rate higher than 1%. More than 100 countries also passed and signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions in 2008, which prohibits the use and production of such ammunition. United States allies such as the United Kingdom, France, and Germany have joined this convention, but the United States, Russia, and Ukraine are not among them.

In this context, the US government's determination to provide cluster ammunition to Ukraine has caused widespread controversy and concern.

At the international level, UN Secretary General's Deputy Spokesperson, Farhan Hack, stated that UN Secretary General Guterres does not want cluster ammunition to continue to be used on the battlefield.

According to Russian media reports on the 16th, Russian President Putin stated that if someone uses cluster ammunition against Russia, Russia reserves the right to take reciprocal action.

Viktor Bondalev, Chairman of the Defense and Security Committee of the Russian Federation Council, said in a statement that the United States providing cluster ammunition to Ukraine is a "dangerous step" that will prompt Russia to take countermeasures. Bondalev said that the United States is running out of conventional ammunition. The use of cluster ammunition is a "terrorist warfare method" that will cause harm to a large number of civilians.

Even NATO member countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Italy, which are allies of the United States, have expressed objections to this matter.

There are also opposing voices within the United States. American media reported that dozens of Democrats expressed disappointment with President Biden's decision, believing it to be a "terrible mistake" that would result in an "unbearable moral and political cost" for the United States.

A temporary solution?

The US government is also aware of the controversy surrounding the provision of cluster ammunition to Ukraine. After months of internal discussions, the Biden administration made this "very difficult" decision.

Earlier this month, US President's National Security Advisor Sullivan argued that the United States was aware that duds in cluster bombs could harm civilians. But the US also believes that in the absence of ammunition in Ukraine, Russia may gain more advantages.

It is not difficult to see from the statements of US officials that the US's insistence on providing cluster ammunition to Ukraine is related to insufficient inventory. Recently, US Secretary of Defense Austin also argued that cluster ammunition provides a "transitional capability" that can continue to provide support to Ukraine until Western countries keep up with weapons production.

CNN stated that the US decision to provide cluster ammunition to Ukraine is mainly to help alleviate possible ammunition shortages on the front line. Officials and military analysts say that the Ukrainian military consumes a large amount of artillery and ammunition every day. It is currently unclear whether the Ukrainian military's firepower can be sustained in the long term without cluster ammunition.

The BBC also wrote that after Ukraine warned that it was about to run out of ammunition in the "summer counterattack," the United States decided to provide cluster ammunition to Ukraine. The speed of counterattack is slower than many people expected, and the cost is also higher.

So, the Biden administration used a rarely used provision in the Foreign Aid Act to evade legal constraints and provide cluster ammunition to Ukraine. This provision allows the President to provide assistance without being restricted by arms exports, as long as the President believes that this is in line with the important national security interests of the United States.

Although Ukraine hopes to strengthen its offensive by using cluster ammunition, Sirsky acknowledges that cluster ammunition cannot "solve all of our problems".

"We hope to get results soon, but in reality, it's almost impossible."