The United States decided to supply cluster munitions to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, The New York Times said with a reference to a source in the Biden administration.
The decision was made after several months of discussions in the White House, the source said. Cluster munitions could accelerate the pace of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, the source added.
The decision was also made in an effort to compensate for the lack of manpower in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and to "break through the defences of the entrenched Russian army,” as Laura Cooper, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia, said earlier.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) non-governmental international organisation condemned the US authorities for their intention to transfer cluster munitions to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. HRW urged not to supply weapons that could lead to civilian casualties. The statement was published on the official website of the organisation.
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A cluster munition is an air-dropped or ground-launched device that releases or ejects smaller submunitions. It is commonly known as a cluster bomb designed to kill personnel and destroy vehicles. Cluster munitions are prohibited for the countries that ratified the Convention on Cluster Munitions. As of 10 February 2022, a total of 123 states have joined the Convention, as 110 states parties and 13 signatories.