The delivery of this ammunition is not unanimous, since they are criticized by NGOs and banned in several countries, especially in Europe.
“It was a very difficult decision for me.” By validating, on Friday July 7, the delivery of cluster munitions to Ukraine, the President of the United States, Joe Biden, is aware of the criticisms to which he is exposing himself. This new announcement is part of an aid package amounting to 800 million dollars (729 million euros), bringing American assistance to more than 41 billion dollars (37.4 billion euros) since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
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Franceinfo returns to this contribution seen as a further step towards “victory” for Volodymyr Zelensky, but criticized by NGOs, who fear collateral damage in the long term.
1What are the specifics of these weapons?
So-called cluster munitions scatter or release small charges designed to explode before or after impact. According a UN report (PDF file)they can release “hundreds”even “thousands”. According to the Pentagon, they are capable of being used both to penetrate armor and against ground troops, and can be “clearly useful for all types of offensive operations”. They also cover “a wide perimeter” and of “targeting, for example, an artillery battery that has just fired and is repositioning”assures on Twitter Stéphane Audrand, consultant in international risks.
The advantage of a salvo of rockets or cluster munitions is that they “treat” a large perimeter, which makes it possible to target, for example, an artillery battery which has just fired and repositions itself. General location by radar may be sufficient for good targeting10/
— Stephane Audrand (@AudrandS) July 8, 2023
According to THE washington post the United States will provide 155 mm artillery shells, the M864, in service since 1987. Each of its shells “carries 72 submunitions: 48 M42 anti-personnel grenades and 24 M46 hollow-charge anti-materiel rounds”, explains Stéphane Audrand. These shells have a range of 29 kilometers, details the American daily.
2Why did the United States choose to deliver it to Ukraine?
By Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s own admission, Ukraine does not have enough ammunition to carry out a slow-moving counter-offensive. Washington believes that these weapons represent “the right thing to do” given the latest developments on the ground. “ Ukrainian offensive struggles with Russian artillery and precision shells (Excalibur, Bonus), GLSDB [un autre projectile de précision] and other smart ammunition are becoming scarce”develops Stéphane Audrand, always on Twitter.
“If our production of weapons, and in particular of precision shells, had been sufficient to supply Ukraine, the Americans would not have had to deliver these shells.”
Stéphane Audrand, international risk consultantson Twitter
These cluster munitions should also make up for the Ukrainian deficit vis-à-vis Russian weapons. In 2006, a French Senate information report explained that “ the neutralization of armored targets seems to be one of the preferred applications of cluster munitions” , as in the Cold War. To deprive oneself of it would amount to “fight with one hand behind your back”illustrates Xavier Tytelman, defense consultant, in the columns of the Parisian.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the White House made its decision after a “unanimous recommendation” of his administration. There is a “Massive risk to civilians if Russian troops and tanks storm into Ukrainian positions and retake more territory because Ukraine doesn’t have enough artillery” to defend himself, he insisted.
3Why are these weapons criticized?
Since August 1, 2010, these weapons have been banned in the 108 countries, including France, signatories to the Oslo Treaty, which prohibits their transfer and use. Neither the United States, nor Ukraine, nor Russia are among the signatories, however, which explains the American aid and its use in the conflict. Aware of the stakes, Joe Biden said it took him time “before being convinced” to make this delivery.
NGOs fear collateral damage for civilians. There american decision “ is a step backwards which undermines the considerable advances of the international community in its attempt to protect civilians from such dangers during and after armed conflicts”, thus denounces Amnesty International. For this organization, the Biden administration “must understand that any decision to allow increased use of these cluster munitions in this war will have one clear consequence: more civilian deaths.” Up to 40% of submunitions do not explode when they hit the ground, falls on its side Handicap International, which believes that “97% of identified victims” are civil, “among which 36% of children”.
In an attempt to appease critics, Joe Biden assured that the Ukrainians had provided guarantees “in writing” on the use they would make of these weapons to minimize “the risks posed to civilians”. Because the use of these cluster munitions is accompanied by a rate of “misses” : some ammunition “ do not explode or deactivate after a while, [et] contribute to planting dangerous explosive objects”details Stéphane Audrand on Twitter. THURSDAY, Pentagon spokesman clarified that the United States was considering to supply ammunition “would not include older variants, which have a misfire rate greater than 2.35%”reports The world.
4How does Ukraine react?
When these deliveries were announced, Volodymyr Zelensky expressed his gratitude “to the American people and to President Joseph Biden”. This new aid “[rapproche] Ukraine from victory over the enemy and democracy from victory over the dictatorship” And “will provide new tools for the disoccupation of our land and the rapprochement of peace”he said on Twitter.
A timely, broad and much-needed defense aid package from the United States. We are grateful to the American people and President Joseph Biden @POTUS for decisive steps that bring Ukraine closer to victory over the enemy, and democracy to victory over dictatorship. The expansion…
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 7, 2023
Always on Twitter, Oleksii Reznikov, the Ukrainian defense minister, tried to address the concerns. He recalled that ” under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter, Ukraine has an internationally recognized universal right of self-defence” and that kyiv would continue “to strictly respect all international humanitarian conventions signed and ratified by Ukraine”. To liberate the country, the Ukrainian army must “inflicting casualties on the enemy”he justified.
“It is in our interests to save the lives of our soldiers. That is why we will continue to do so using all lethal weapons at our disposal.”
Oleksii Reznikov, Ukrainian Defense Ministeron Twitter
Ukraine also undertakes to use these weapons in accordance with five key principles: use only for the liberation of occupied territories and ” not on the officially recognized territory of Russia” ; use outside urban areas, but “in areas where there is a concentration of Russian military” in order to limit the risks for Ukrainian soldiers; holding a “ strict record of the use of these weapons and the areas where they will be used” ; the establishment of a classification of territories by order of priority for demining at the liberation of the country, and finally the keeping of a report on the use of these weapons to the partners of Ukraine.
5What are the reactions of the American allies?
The American president affirmed that this decision was previously discussed with the allied countries and the American Congress. But on the other side of the Atlantic, this announcement is causing some embarrassment. In Berlin, the spokesman for the German government, said to himself on Friday, “certain that our American friends did not take the decision to deliver the ammunition in question lightly”. Paris reiterated that it would respect the commitments made to prevent the proliferation of these weapons, while understanding “the arbitration reached by the United States in its wish to help Ukraine in the exercise of its self-defense against the unlawful aggression unleashed by Russia”.
For his part, the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, noted that Russia and Ukraine use these weapons, but that Moscow uses them “in its brutal war against Ukraine as Ukraine uses it to defend itself”. “We have the feeling that in no way will this affect the very strong unity between allies”said US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, reports The world . However, coincidence or not, the United States announced, at the same time, the destruction of its last stockpile of chemical weapons, calling on Russia (and Syria) to recognize and destroy their undeclared programs. The United States had until September 30 to do so after signing the Convention. of 1997 on the prohibition of these weapons.