U.S. confirms delivery of cluster bombs to Ukraine, which should use them "carefully"

The White House confirmed the shipment of cluster bombs to Ukraine, with a commitment that Volodomir Zelensky’s government would use them “carefully.” This was confirmed on Friday, by National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who also reiterated that the United States has no intention of leaving Ukraine defenseless while Russia actively tries to conquer it. The controversial event, due to the nature of this type of weapon, comes on the eve of a new NATO summit.

AP reported that the shipment comes as part of a new military aid package to Ukraine valued at approximately $800 million. Cluster munitions are banned in 108 countries due to their high margin of error, which creates a risk for the civilian population.

Sullivan defended the decision by arguing that the U.S. will send a version with a reduced “dud rate.” “We recognize the cluster munitions create a risk of civilian harm from unexploded ordinance. This is why we’ve deferred the decision for as long as we could. But there is also a massive risk of civilian harm if Russian troops and tanks roll over Ukrainian positions and take more Ukrainian territory and subjugate more Ukrainian civilians because Ukraine does not have enough artillery. That is intolerable to us,” he stated in a briefing.

Of course, the news generated a stir due to the danger of the bombs, so the official clarified that they consulted their allies before making the final decision. The allies “recognize the difference between Russia using its cluster munitions to attack Ukraine and Ukraine using cluster munitions to defend itself, its citizens and its sovereign territory,” he added.

The shipment generated criticism from the UN: Marta Hurtado, who spoke on behalf of the supranational organization, went right to the point and assured that “the use of such munitions should stop immediately and not be used in any place.”

What are cluster bombs?

The main feature of this weapon is that it opens in the air, thus releasing many smaller bombs. It could be compared to a piñata used during children’s birthday parties, which releases the candies in many different directions toward the ground when broken. This makes the international community wary since, lacking a precise guidance mechanism, these small bombs can hit too wide an area.

As the principal bomb falls, the fins on its underside rotate and open at different heights. The combination of the spinning speed (6 different speeds) and the altitude (between ~300 ft and 0.62 of a mile) establishes the area covered by the submunitions.

In addition, the standard version has a reasonably high margin of error: 5%. This means that the munitions may fail to detonate on the spot and explode later, further increasing the danger to civilians, as the explosive power is capable of piercing armored vehicles and wreaking havoc up to 650 ft away.