CLUSTER MUNITIONS – INTERNATIONAL
News: Why
the US is willing to send Ukraine cluster munitions now
What's in the news?
● The
United States has decided to send cluster munitions to Ukraine to help its
military push back Russian forces entrenched along the front lines.
Key takeaways:
● The
Biden administration is expected to announce that it will send thousands of
them as part of a new military aid package worth $800 million.
Cluster Munition:
● A
cluster munition is a bomb that opens in
the air and releases smaller “bomblets” across a wide area.
● The
bomblets are meant to destroy tanks,
equipment, and troops while simultaneously striking several targets.
● The
explosives are launched using the same artillery weaponry that the United
States and its allies have already supplied to Ukraine for the war, such as
howitzers.
Is it a crime to use cluster munition?
● Use
of cluster bombs itself does not violate
international law, but using them against civilians can be a violation.