Pentagon to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine

On Friday, 7 July, the United States announced a new package of military assistance to Ukraine, which also includes so-called dual-purpose improved conventional munitions  (DPICMs), or cluster munitions.

Source: This was stated by Colin Kahl, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, at a briefing, European Pravda’s correspondent reports.

Details: According to the Pentagon official, the aid package, which will be provided from US Army stocks, includes 155-mm ammunition, including DPICMs, 105-mm shells, and ammunition for Patriot and HIMARS systems.

In addition, the United States will provide Ukraine with additional armoured vehicles – Bradleys and Strykers – and high-precision aircraft shells, as well as spare parts for repair and equipment, Kahl added.

The new package, explained Kahl, will provide Ukraine with "hundreds of thousands of pieces of ammunition immediately".

Kahl announced that with the new package of military support, the total amount of military aid from the United States to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion exceeds US$41.3 billion.

The White House previously explained that the provision of cluster munitions is a temporary measure until the production of conventional artillery ammunition has reached satisfactory capacity. In addition, Ukraine took it upon itself to minimise the risk of using cluster munitions.

Cluster munitions usually disperse a large number of submunitions, so they are considered more dangerous to the civilian population. These munitions also have an equally high percentage of failure, making them dangerous for years after the end of a conflict.

In 2008, more than 120 countries adopted a treaty banning the production, use and stockpiling of cluster munitions. The United States, Russia and Ukraine refused to join it.

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