The administration of the U.S. president is considering the transfer of cluster munitions to Ukraine.
CNN writes about this with reference to sources.
The White House has been considering Ukraineʼs request for the supply of such shells for several months and has not rejected it. This option is considered by the USA as an extreme necessity — in case of depletion of Ukrainian reserves.
The Ukrainian side is asking for cluster shells for HIMARS rocket systems and 155 mm howitzers. The USA has a large stockpile of such munitions, as they have been decommissioned since 2016.
- Cluster munitions are banned by the 2008 convention. It was signed by almost 100 countries, but Ukraine, the USA and Russia did not join it. The latter actively uses such ammunition in Ukraine.
- Cluster munitions are not accurate and scatter a large number of bombs over a large area. Often these bombs (cassettes) do not explode after impact and pose a long-term danger.