Ukraine's First Recorded Use of Cluster Munitions on Russian Army Revealed

Night vision footage circulating on social media reportedly reveals Ukraine's first recorded use of dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICM), or cluster bombs, in its ongoing war with Russia.

The footage, reportedly filmed on July 20, appears to show the moment a group of Russian soldiers is targeted in Krasnohorivka, in eastern Ukraine.

The U.S. agreed to supply Ukraine with the weapons earlier this month after months of debate, and the Pentagon said on July 14 that they had arrived in the war torn country. Kyiv had repeatedly requested cluster munitions—banned in more than 120 countries but not the U.S., Russia or Ukraine—be sent for use by its forces in the ongoing conflict.

DPICMs are bombs that open in the air and release multiple smaller bomblets, or submunitions, over a wide area. They are "very useful for clearing out large numbers of infantry," Sidharth Kaushal, a research fellow at the London-based Royal United Services Institute think tank previously told Newsweek.

Some have raised concerns that unexploded rounds could cause unintended deaths, posing a danger to civilians for decades. The U.S. has said it is sending a version of the weapon that has a reduced "dud rate," meaning that fewer of the submunitions will fail to explode.

The Pentagon confirmed on Thursday that Ukraine had started using cluster munitions on the battlefield. Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said during a press conference that Ukraine has committed to the weapon "responsibly, to keep track of, and record where they are using it, so when this war is over, they can begin those de-mining efforts."

White House national security spokesman John Kirby also said Thursday that Ukraine has been using U.S.-supplied cluster munitions against Russian forces.

"We have gotten some initial feedback from the Ukrainians, and they're using them quite effectively," Kirby told reporters. "They are actually having an impact on Russia's defensive formations and Russia's defensive maneuvering."

U.S. President Joe Biden said during an interview with CNN's Fareed Zakaria on July 7 that it was a "difficult decision" to approve the transfer of the contentious weapons, but added: "The Ukrainians are running out of ammunition."

Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia, has said the munitions are a "necessity" for Ukraine, which is weeks into its counteroffensive to recapture territory seized by Russia throughout the war.

"I've advocated for the US to sign the international agreement banning cluster munitions in the past," McFaul tweeted on July 8. "I also support this decision today. In debate/conversation/discussion with others, I've been convinced of the tragic necessity of this decision."

In a separate tweet he wrote: "To those rightly raising questions about the US decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, your concerns about "war crimes" & international law today would have had a lot more credibility if you raised similar concerns the previous 499 days about Russia using such weapons against Ukrainians."

Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry via email for comment.

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