Putin threatens 'tit-for-tat' use of cluster munitions against Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow has sufficient stockpiles of cluster munition to respond to Kyiv's use of internationally sanctioned lethal weapons. The Biden administration last week approved the export of cluster munitions that the White House itself once flagged for purported 'war crimes' during the initial days of war in Ukraine.
Also watch |US sends cluster munitions to Ukraine despite global opposition
The international treaty – United Nations Convention on Cluster Munitions – signed in 2008 prohibits the use, stockpiling, or transfer of such weapons.United Kingdom, Germany and France are its signatories among NATO countries. Russia, United States and China did not sign this treaty.
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"I think this is how it should be treated," Putin added, while referring to Washington's earlier assertion of use of cluster munitions as constituting war crimes.
"Until now, we have not used it," claimed the Russian president against West's accusations that Moscow used cluster munitions in Kharkiv early on during the war.
"If they are used against us, we reserve ourselves the right to tit-for-tat actions," Putin warned, adding that Russia has a sufficient stockpile of various kinds of cluster munitions.
What makes cluster munition lethal?
Cluster munitions, which are also known as cluster bombs, are canisters that contain tens to hundreds of smaller bomblets, also calledsubmunitions.
Also read |Explained | What are cluster bombs which US is set to provide to Ukraine? Why is it facing opposition?
The bomblets,engineered in a way that they detonate when they hit the ground, have a high chance of killing or seriously injuring anyone in the area. Apart from the initial damage which the munitions cause upon impact, many bomblets do not detonate at all. So after the conflict dies down, they pose a threat to the civilian population.
Humanitarian groups have strongly condemned the US decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine.
US President Joe Biden said the decision was "very difficult" but stressed Ukraine needed extra ammunition to refill its depleted stocks.
Putin on Sunday also claimed that the Ukrainian stockpile of ammunition is depleting.
"The Ukrainian army uses up to 15 to 16 thousand shells of 155-calibre per day of hostilities and in the USA they produce 15 thousand per month."
"They don't have enough (ammunition)and Europe doesn't have enough. They did not find anything better than to suggest the use of cluster munitions."
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