By the end of June, more than 200 Ukrainians were said to have fallen victim to cluster bombs, and hundreds more were injured. The devastating ammunition is banned internationally, and an agreement largely prohibits its use. According to Russian information, Ukraine is also said to have used cluster bombs.
According to observers, the cluster munitions, which are banned in many countries, have only been used in Ukraine this year. The international cluster munitions coalition in Geneva reported that Russia shot down large quantities of them in its war of aggression. At least 215 people had been killed and another 474 injured by cluster munitions since the Russian invasion in February by the end of June, it said. The numbers are probably much higher. Not all cases are recorded.
On the Russian side, the coalition speaks of hundreds of operations that have been documented or reported, but not all could be independently verified, on the Ukrainian side of three. Cluster munitions refer to many smaller explosive devices that are launched in containers from aircraft and rocket launchers. They are distributed randomly and extensively and explode. Many also end up in soil as duds, killing or injuring people years later. Most of the victims are civilians.
A 2008 convention prohibits, among other things, the use of cluster munitions and prescribes the destruction of stocks. 123 states have signed the treaty. Among them are 24 NATO countries, but not the USA. Neither Russia nor Ukraine are parties to the Convention. The Cluster Munitions Coalition is made up of non-governmental organizations from around the world that monitor compliance with the Convention.
Last year, for the first time since 2011, there were no casualties from new cluster bomb attacks. However, 149 people were killed or injured when unexploded ordnance from previous conflicts exploded. Most cases happened in Syria. In 2020 there were still 360 victims. The annual conference of the States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions will take place in Geneva from 30 August.