M A Hossain,
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has reached a critical juncture, as the Biden administration announced its inclusion of cluster bombs in the United States next $800 million weapons package for Ukraine. The Pentagon is contemplating the use of cluster munitions as a strategic maneuver. Particularly after the destruction of Kakhovka dam, Ukraine has been slow to achieve it goal of a counteroffensive against Russian forces or their mercenaries. Kyiv has been increasingly desperate for more weaponry, including controversial cluster bombs from its allies. According to the Human Rights Watch, both Russia and Ukraine have been accused of using cluster bombs in several times, resulting civilian casualties. The international communities have expressed their deep concerns regarding the deployment of unconventional cluster munitions in Ukraine.
Cluster bombs are infamous weapons that release multiple smaller submunitions over a wide area. These submunitions, known as bomblets, are dispersed from the main munition and scatter across the target zone. The weapons, which can be delivered via artillery, Rockets, bombs, and missiles. Upon detonation in the air above the target area, they disperse lethal fragments, causing extensive damage and casualties. These submunitions or bomblets are designed to explode either upon impact or with a delayed detonation mechanism. Cluster munitions are widely considered as among the most harmful weapons to civilians or other unintended targets, especially children, as they disperse bomblets indiscriminately across the wide area and often fail to explode upon initial impact. This leaves behind duds that act like land mines, posing a long-lasting threat to civilians even after a conflict ends. These weapons are typically used against enemy concentrations, armored vehicles and infrastructure targets.
Cluster bombs can have a significant impact on the battlefield by saturating a large area with explosive submunitions, leading to widespread destruction and demoralizing enemy forces. The high density of bomblets creates a battle shock among the enemy forces and can destroy armored vehicles and fortified trenches. It also disrupts enemy logistics by damaging infrastructures, supply line, and communication networks. Cluster bombs are very effective against entrenched defensive positions, artillery position, and air defense systems. The unexploded submunitions act as scattering random booby traps across the battlefield. While cluster munitions may provide additional military value in certain limited situations, they are not a magical winning weapon for overall warfare.
Despite their immediate military advantages, cluster munitions pose long-term risk. Unexploded bomblets can remain dormant and hazards for civilians long after the conflict ends. These unexploded submunitions can be triggered easily by unsuspecting individuals, including children, resulting in severe injuries or fatalities. The substantial environmental impact such as contamination of agricultural land and water sources poses a severe threat to the ecosystem. The humanitarian impact of cluster bombs extends far beyond the duration of the conflict itself. According to a 2019 report by Royal United Services Institute(RUSI) has revealed that 97% of casualties from cluster bombs worldwide were accounted for by civilians and among them the children accounting for 66% of the casualties.
The utilization of cluster mutations carries a contentious historical background. They were extensively used during World War ll. The United States has used these weapons in various prior conflicts, including Southeast Asia in the 1960s and 1970s and Iraq in 2003, and engagements in the Persian Gulf War, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Syria. Saudi Arabia employed US-supplied cluster munitions in Yemen in 2009. In the ongoing Russia -Ukraine conflict, both Russian and the Ukrainian armed forces have not denied credible evidence of their use of cluster munitions. In 2008, more than 100 nations signed the convention on cluster munitions, an international treaty that came into effect in 2010, prohibiting the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of the deadly weapons. Only 16 countries, including the US, Ukraine, Russia, have so far refused to sign the convention.
The decision to employ cluster munitions in the Russia -Ukraine conflict carries a significant consequence. While these munitions may provide tactical advantages, the potential long-term damage to noncombatants and the undermining of the international humanitarian law cannot be ignored. Mr. Biden is facing obstacles from members of his own and opposition parties in the Caucasus to deliver this lethal weapon to Ukraine, but will ultimately be able to bypass those obstacles under his presidential power. It would escalate tensions, hinder future negotiations, and perpetuate extreme destruction. From the tactical perspective, the use of cluster munitions by Ukraine may gain time to replenish arms and ammunition, to break through multi-layered Russian defense or bring halt the advance of Russian troops or their mercenaries. It would also engage extra forces to rebuild or clear occupied territories by Russia. However, it is crucial to acknowledge that this may potentially trigger a limited scale of nuclear attacks.
The historical usage of cluster bombs in previous conflicts has demonstrated the devastating and enduring impact on affected communities. Ukraine's decision to use this unconventional weapon is deeply troubling and raises serious ethical, legal, and humanitarian concerns. It is imperative for the international communities, Human Rights organizations, and other influential nations to come together to condemn this saber-rattling and exert diplomatic pressure on the sponsoring nation to oppose any transfer or use of cluster munitions.
M A Hossain is a political and defense analyst based in Bangladesh.
Email : writetomahossain@gmail.com
This article published at :
1. The New Nation, BD:12 July 23
2. The Daily Asian Age, BD:12 July 23
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