Why the US is willing to send Ukraine cluster munitions now
By: TARA COPP and LOLITA C. BALDOR (AP News)
Biden supplying cluster munitions isn't a mystery. Ukraine is burning through munitions faster than the US can produce them. Wars aren't fought with commitments.
Ukraine's touted offensive grinds to halt pretty quickly without the means to fight. If Ukraine's offensive stalls for lack of munitions then it won't be a good look for NATO, the US, or Biden. Looks like Biden is scraping the bottom to keep the war going and save his own political bacon.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States has decided to send cluster munitions to Ukraine to help its military push back Russian forces entrenched along the front lines.
The Biden administration is expected to announce on Friday that it will send thousands of them as part of a new military aid package worth $800 million, according to people familiar with the decision who were not authorized to discuss it publicly before the official announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The move will likely trigger outrage from some allies and humanitarian groups that have long opposed the use of cluster bombs.
Proponents argue that Russia has already been using the controversial weapon in Ukraine and that the munitions the U.S. will provide have a reduced dud rate, meaning there will be far fewer unexploded rounds that can result in unintended civilian deaths.
Here is a look at what cluster munitions are, where they have been used and why the U.S. plans to provide them to Ukraine now.
WHAT IS A CLUSTER MUNITION?
A cluster munition is a bomb that opens in the air and releases smaller "bomblets" across a wide area. The bomblets are designed to take out tanks and equipment, as well as troops, hitting multiple targets at the same time.
The munitions are launched by the same artillery weapons that the U.S. and allies have already provided to Ukraine for the war — such as howitzers — and the type of cluster munition that the U.S. is planning to send is based on a common 155 mm shell that is already widely in use across the battlefield.
In previous conflicts, cluster munitions have had a high dud rate, which meant that thousands of the smaller unexploded bomblets remained behind and killed and maimed people decades later. The U.S. last used its cluster munitions in battle in Iraq in 2003, and decided not to continue using them as the conflict shifted to more urban environments with more dense civilian populations.
On Thursday, Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the Defense Department has "multiple variants" of the munitions and "the ones that we are considering providing would not include older variants with (unexploding) rates that are higher than 2.35%."
WHY PROVIDE THEM NOW?
For more than a year the U.S. has dipped into its own stocks of traditional 155 howitzer munitions and sent more than 2 million rounds to Ukraine. Allies across the globe have provided hundreds of thousands more.
A 155 mm round can strike targets 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 kilometers) away, making them a munition of choice for Ukrainian ground troops trying to hit enemy targets from a distance. Ukrainian forces are burning through thousands of the rounds a day battling the Russians.
Yehor Cherniev, a member of Ukraine's parliament, told reporters at a German Marshall Fund event in the U.S. this spring that Kyiv would likely need to fire 7,000 to 9,000 of the rounds daily in intensified counteroffensive fighting. Providing that many puts substantial pressure on U.S. and allied stocks.
The cluster bomb is an attractive option because it would help Ukraine destroy more targets with fewer rounds, and since the U.S. hasn't used them in conflict since Iraq, it has large amounts of them in storage it can access quickly, said Ryan Brobst, a research analyst for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
A March 2023 letter from top House and Senate Republicans to the Biden administration said the U.S. may have as many as 3 million cluster munitions available for use, and urged the White House to send the munitions to alleviate pressure on U.S. war supplies.
"Cluster munitions are more effective than unitary artillery shells because they inflict damage over a wider area," Brobst said. "This is important for Ukraine as they try to clear heavily fortified Russian positions."
Tapping into the U.S. stores of cluster munitions could address Ukraine's shell shortage and alleviate pressure on the 155 mm stockpiles in the U.S. and elsewhere, Brobst said.
IS USING THEM A WAR CRIME?
Use of cluster bombs itself does not violate international law, but using them against civilians can be a violation. As in any strike, determining a war crime requires looking at whether the target was legitimate and if precautions were taken to avoid civilian casualties.
"The part of international law where this starts playing (a role), though, is indiscriminate attacks targeting civilians," Human Rights Watch's associate arms director Mark Hiznay told The Associated Press. "So that's not necessarily related to the weapons, but the way the weapons are used."
A convention banning the use of cluster bombs has been joined by more than 120 countries, which agreed not to use, produce, transfer or stockpile the weapons and to clear them after they've been used. The U.S., Russia and Ukraine haven't signed on.
WHERE HAVE THEY BEEN USED?
The bombs have been deployed in many recent conflicts, including by U.S. forces.
The U.S. initially considered cluster bombs an integral part of its arsenal during the invasion of Afghanistan that began in 2001, according to HRW. The group estimated that the U.S.-led coalition dropped more than 1,500 cluster bombs in Afghanistan during the first three years of the conflict.
The Defense Department had been due by 2019 to stop use of any cluster munitions with a rate of unexploded ordnance greater than 1%. But the Trump administration rolled back that policy, allowing commanders to approve use of such munitions.
Syrian government troops often used cluster munitions — supplied by Russia — against opposition strongholds during that country's civil war, frequently hitting civilian targets and infrastructure. And Israel used them in civilian areas in south Lebanon, including during the 1982 invasion.
During the monthlong 2006 war with Hezbollah, HRW and the United Nations accused Israel of firing as many as 4 million cluster munitions into Lebanon. That left unexploded ordnance that threatens Lebanese civilians to this day.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has been criticized for its use of cluster bombs in the war with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels that has ravaged the southern Arabian country.
In 2017, Yemen was the second deadliest country for cluster munitions after Syria, according to the U.N. Children have been killed or maimed long after the munitions originally fell, making it difficult to know the true toll.
In the 1980s, the Russians made heavy use of cluster bombs during their 10-year invasion of Afghanistan. As a result of decades of war, the Afghan countryside remains one of the most heavily mined countries in the world.
WHAT'S HAPPENING IN UKRAINE?
Russian forces have used cluster bombs in Ukraine on a number of occasions, according to Ukrainian government leaders, observers and humanitarian groups. And human rights groups have said Ukraine has also used them.
During the early days of the war, there were repeated instances of Russian cluster bombs cited by groups such as Human Rights Watch, including when they hit near a preschool in the northeastern city of Okhtyrka. The open-source intelligence group Bellingcat said its researchers found cluster munitions in that strike as well as multiple cluster attacks in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, also in the northeast.
More recently, in March, a Russian missile and drone barrage hit a number of urban areas, including a sustained bombardment in Bakhmut, in the eastern Donetsk region. Just west of there, shelling and missile strikes hit the Ukrainian-held city of Kostiantynivka and AP journalists in the city saw at least four injured people taken to a local hospital. Police said Russian forces attacked the town with S-300 missiles and cluster munitions.
Just a month later, Donetsk Gov. Pavlo Kyrylenko accused Russian forces of attacking a town with cluster munitions, wounding one person. An AP and Frontline database called War Crimes Watch Ukraine has cataloged how Russia has used cluster bombs.
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Ukraine is also losing a lot of equipment in mine fields. So, there may be some hope that these cluster munitions can be used to clear mines.
The whole area is going to have to be cleared of mines and unexploded munitions anyway once the war is over.
The US taxpayer will be on the hook for that; as well as rebuilding Ukraine.
It isn't like Europe will take care of it.
Further deplete our weapons stockpiles so when China attacks Taiwan we are caught with our pants down?
Just a thought ….. in which case China thanks Joe.
Really bad logic. If we allow Russia to take Ukraine, we're telling China they can have Taiwan. That shit will never stop. A main point of this war is to say no to empire building. Empire building caused us immense grief in the previous century, it's time to say that era is over; the price of trying is the destruction of your economy at a minimum.
We should have stood up to Russia when Putin took part of Georgia, or when he took Crimea. We could have prevented the atrocities going on now. So two previous presidents screwed up, Biden has this right, let's not screw up again.
Thinking we are the only option for cluster bombs.
Why do you assume the US is the only option? There is this little thing called NATO, many member countries which are neighbors to Ukraine and Russia. Talk about skin in the game …..
Europe needs to do a better job of taking care of itself, by itself.
Where do I ever say that? 'We' are the free world countries, who are not empire builders, who are all sending military aid to Ukraine. As I've said before ---
Russia is committing all manner of atrocities in Ukraine. Ukraine supplies about a third of the world’s exported grain. Putin has used natural gas and oil as weapons, he will use food as well if we allow him access to it. Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal as part of becoming a free nation, then a nuclear power attacked them. If allowed to succeed, the rest of the world will know that nuclear weapons are the only guaranty of sovereignty. Both Russia & China are empire builders, tolerating this nonsense brought us two world wars. The free world needs to unequivocally say no to empire builders. The Ukrainians are showing that they value freedom, and that freedom is really a better way. We just spent 7,500 lives and $4.15T on two moronic wars — here’s a chance using no American blood and a relatively tiny amount of money to reaffirm that Democracy is the better way. There are many other reasons to support the Ukrainians, let's do that.
Empire building affects the entire world. Both Russia and China control much of the natural resources on which our technology relies. Both are working in Africa to control even more of those resources. Containing Russia & China is a strategic necessity. Showing them & the rest of the authoritarian countries that expansion will not be tolerated is simply good for business and peace.
The US being militarily & economically dominate and especially, active in the world, allows us to be the reserve currency which is richly rewarding. We have always been able to set policy for the world, and we set it to our benefit. Why do you think our BRICs competitors are so anxious to change that?
Look at a map. Why does China need to attack Taiwan? Taiwan is only 110 miles from China so Taiwan can be blockaded just like the United States did to Cuba.
The United States cannot possess enough conventional weapons to defend Taiwan. The United States will have to make nuclear threats.
Ukraine is 0 miles from Russia. The US is not threatening to use nukes. The West is supplying Ukraine with whatever it wants to. The West is demonstrating that empire building is extraordinarily expensive and likely impossible.
Because Trump's tariffs were clueless and impromptu, US businesses bore the brunt of the tariffs initially - a lot of businesses were destroyed. But now the tariffs are also doing damage to China. US imports from China are down 26% this year. Businesses in the US have been reacting, my business negotiated a price drop to split the tariff in one case and moved business to Africa for another case. I have been slowly moving what I could back here since 2013 - afraid of the volatility of relations. It seems to me that the risk/reward ratio for attacking Taiwan is too low.
Change "West" to read "the U.S."
Why has the U.S. become the postage stamp for providing over $75B in aid/armaments to Ukraine?
The United States is 2.4 miles from Russia. The US is, indeed, threatening to use nukes; that's what NATO is all about. The United States and NATO are not fighting in Ukraine. The Kiev government decides what munitions to use and where to use those munitions. Apparently the Kiev government, under Zelensky, is more than willing to use cluster munitions inside Ukraine, on territory claimed by Ukraine, and populated by Ukrainians. Zelensky won't be bombing Russia.
The Kiev government has been at war with Ukrainians since 2014. So this would just be another escalation by a government of questionable legitimacy against Ukrainians that hold a different political view. The Kiev government has been attacking (and killing) Ukrainians to hold on to power.
Then why has Biden continued the Trump tariffs? US businesses selling out America to make a quick buck in China don't deserve a lot of sympathy. Let them eat cake like the common folk they've sold out. A lot of neoliberal apologists for Chinese piracy deserve a King Louis haircut.
Now that China is feeling the pinch, these businesses are moving back to the US for the slave labor. Press 1 for Spanish. Stay in fucking China and kiss commie dick. We're getting tired of having to carry tax dodgers, price gougers, and buck sucking whiners. Take along Mitt Romney, Paul Krugman, and Jerome Powell.
No, not actually 1st. Many counties have given and are giving large amounts of aid to Ukraine, The link will show you by % of GDP each country has given through Feb 2023. Of course, the US has given the most simply because of our size in both dollars/GDP/population/wealth. Some countries' support is disappointing considering they are NATO members and right in Russia's back yard and others are giving everything they have.
In another view, if one looks at Russia's recent history with Chechnya, Georgia, and Crimea we and the rest of the world should have seen the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 coming. The only ones that did were the old Iron Curtain countries now part of NATO, the Baltic countries, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and the Balkan countries who have been sounding the alarm for years and no one listened except, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland. IMO, it's foolish to think that if Putin got away with taking all of Ukraine other countries would not follow namely Moldova, Georgia and next up the Baltic countries or smaller countries in the Balkans, North Macedonia and Montenegro both NATO members and both dealing with Russian instigating trouble there.
What we have seen is a unified NATO supporting Ukraine and once again many going back to their military strength of pre-2000.
Our military budget is over $800 billion dollars a year, if your $75 billion is correct over 18 months that is less than 10% of one year's DOD budget, and with that, we have lost NO TROOPS, destroyed much of the Russian military and shown them to be nothing like they have been built up to be. We have shown and tested Western weapons and how far they are advanced of Russian arms. And their economy is in shambles and it will take many years to get it back to some semblance of order.
And two new NATO members that are wealthy countries with advanced militaries and right on Russia's border cutting off their access to much of the Arctic.
And we have no troops fighting.
IMO, after the last six decades of useless fucked up wars, this is a lesson that should resonate with everyone.
The question on cluster bombs being sent to Ukraine, is because we and other allies are running short on 155 shells and Ukraine needs them to have a successful counterattack. It is a wicked weapon and I can imagine that Biden had to do some real soul searching. Remember, as we both know and experienced we used Willie Peter, Napalm, Agent Orange, and flame throwers in Nam. War is really fucking ugly.
What will Putin do to up the ante? Use gas, gas that disabled so many in WW1?
Putin will probably just keep on committing atrocities and war crimes and killing innocent Ukrainians until he is finally and completely beaten and broken...
As long as the American Military Industrial Complex continues to rake in the billions, I guess nobody in America gives a shit how many Ukrainian kids are going to step on an unexploded American-supplied cluster bomblet.
That's not true Buzz Some of us do give a shit.
How many Ukrainian kids have been and will be killed by invading Russians?
I thought the topic was about America sending cluster bombs to Ukraine.
Evening Drinker..and the Russians sure as hell don't give a shit...
If this is what is takes I am all for it..if Russia buggared off and left people alone this would never have happened..
Must be good living in one of the most hated and detested countries on this earth now..and all because you have a little dick head as leader.
Oh those Russians..bombs away!!..
It is, and the Russian invasion and the Ukrainian casualties including targeted civilians was part of Biden's justification.
BTW, the US MIC that you brought up wasn't part of the topic.
I hope that you are home now and feeling better.
The United States is not fighting in Ukraine. Only the Kiev government decides what munitions to use and where to use those munitions. Ukrainians do not have to use the cluster munitions. Zelensky could have rejected the offer of cluster munitions.
Civilian deaths caused by unexploded ordinance has been a problem in the Donbas region since 2014. Russia annexed Crimea in southern Ukraines and the Kiev government attacked Ukrainians in the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.
It isn't? Who makes those cluster bombs, and where are they made, in Fiji?
Morning Drinker...thank you..yes home again and nearly firing on all cylinders..will be a little while before I am back to "normal"..😁
The Russians have been using cluster bombs in Ukraine since 2015. Russian cluster bombs have a higher fail rate than ours, so the east is likely littered with live bomblets. Your point is moot and the Ukrainians want these weapons. The Ukrainians have made the choice to fight as long as possible or until they win. If they wanted to stop, they could.
No and only I only brought it up since I know what a stickler you are about that,
BTW, last US production occurred in 2016. These may date back another 10-15 years. I doubt that we will replace those given to the Ukraine.
You're right. The adage needs to be fight fire with fire, so it's necessary for America to do what 120 other nations in the world have vowed not to do and become barbaric, but then, what else is new?
Biden is such a barbarian helping the Ukraine try to repel an invader while sending a message to China and North Korea about US resolve.
I'm sure China and North Korea are shaking in their boots. LOL
Why do they wear boots, sounds militaristic?
I disagree with the use of cluster munitions - people (including children) will be finding the unexploded ordinance the hard way for a couple of decades. Perhaps the UK and EU can dissuade Biden from sending them OR Ukraine from using them. Even as a temporary solution it's a bad idea.
They are running out of 155mm HOW shells and with their summer offensive, it’s a target rich environment. We let our 155 production lines grow cold two years ago and it takes awhile to ramp up. To not send these munitions would delay their offensive by a year.