UKRAINE, Sep. 16 — Since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion, cluster munitions have killed or injured over 1,200 people in Ukraine, reported the Cluster Munition Coalition in their research, Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor.

Cluster munitions are weapons that contain up to several hundred identical cassette combat elements. These elements scatter over a huge area, hitting more targets. The Convention on Cluster Munitions, signed in Oslo in 2008, prohibits the use of this weapon.

The research authors noted that Ukraine and Russia didn’t sign the Convention, and that both countries use this weapon.

“There continue to be attacks impacting civilian areas and residential buildings. Individual attacks have killed dozens of civilians and left hundreds injured,” said Michael Hart, Cluster Munition Monitor Research Specialist, to Reuters.

According to the research, between July 2023 and October 2024, the US announced making at least seven transfers of cluster munitions to Ukraine. A part of the transfers was delivered through Germany, even though this country is a member of the Convention.

Since January 2025, when Donald Trump became the American President, there haven’t been any transfers of cluster munitions to Ukraine. In June, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine said that Russian forces used cluster munitions against Ukraine at least 5,974 times.

Read more

  • 5 veterans from Kharkiv Oblast will represent Ukraine at Strong Spirit’s Games 2025 in Madrid 

This August, Gwara celebrated its 10th anniversary. Whatever awaits Ukraine in Russia’s war, our Kharkiv-based newsroom plans to keep reporting on it. Please, support our journalism by buying us a coffee or subscribing to our Patreon.