Ukraine Masterfully Using Cluster Bombs Speeding up its Counter Offensive
Ukraine is masterfully using American-supplied cluster munitions in the field and is doing so effectively speeding up the counteroffensive against the russists terrorist.
“They are using them appropriately,” National Security Spokesman John Kirby said on July 21. “They’re using them effectively, and they are actually having an impact on Russia’s defensive formations and Russia’s defensive maneuvering. I think I can leave it at that.”
The U.S. decision to send these weapons was criticized by multiple countries and human rights groups, even by some of the allies.
The use of weapons that cover an area with bomblets is controversial around the world because of the lingering danger they pose to civilians. A total of 111 countries have ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions, outright banning the use of such weapons.
Ukraine, the U.S., and Russia are not signatories. During the full-scale invasion, Russia used cluster munitions against Ukrainian cities.
The Joe Biden administration defended the decision, saying its military experts confirmed that these munitions will be useful against trenches on the battlefield.
While they are dangerous, Ukraine can make use of cluster munitions now more than ever, with its counteroffensive having a hard time against prepared Russian defenses, plus its shortages of artillery shells, aircraft, and experience fighting large-scale operations, observers said.
On top of being better than conventional rounds at destroying Russia’s defenses, the use of cluster munitions allows Ukraine to reduce its expenditure of shells and artillery barrels without sacrificing pressure. It could also save service members’ lives by making the armed forces less reliant on infantry for the bloody job of clearing trenches.
Ukraine has made it clear it is planning to use such weapons strictly on the depopulated battlefield. And by doing so, Ukraine finally has a chance to make tangible advances during its ongoing counteroffensive.
Federico Borsari, a fellow with the Center for European Policy and Analysis, said that using them against military targets away from populated areas is not banned under international humanitarian law.
Failing to liberate these areas would keep them under Russian occupation, where war crimes against locals are regular.
Washington’s latest $800 million defense aid package includes dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICM), which had been developed during the Cold War, with massed Soviet formations in mind.
The specific models are compatible with 155-millimeter artillery and HIMARS. After being fired, they burst and scatter either 72 or 88 submunitions over a wide target area. The selection of submunitions can be tailored for anti-personnel and/or anti-armor use.
Serhiy Zgurets, director at military analysis outlet Defense Express, said that each shell can cover the area of a football pitch
Russia must be regretting starting this war which has seen over 200,000 Russian terrorists neutralized on Ukrainian soil. Russia has largely failed in its conflict which was supposed to last for 3 days. The US and European countries have supplied weapons to Kyiv to kick out the terrorist with the latest weapon being the cluster bomb shells which the Ukranian forces are effectively using against the enemy.
