What are cluster munitions that the U.S. is sending to Ukraine despite criticism?
cluster munitions to Ukraine for the first time. This decision comes as Ukrainian forces are engaged in a challenging counteroffensive against invading Russian troops. The move has been met with strong criticism from human rights groups due to the inherent dangers posed by unexploded bomblets. However, the U.S. government has stated that it has received assurances from Kyiv that they will take steps to minimize the risk to civilians, including refraining from using the munitions in populated areas. These cluster munitions are part of a new military aid package worth $800 million that the U.S. plans to send to Ukraine. In addition to the cluster munitions, the package includes Bradley and Stryker armored vehicles, as well as various types of ammunition, including rounds for howitzers and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.
FILE — U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Cody Brown, right, with the 436th Aerial Port Squadron, checks pallets of 155 mm shells ultimately bound for Ukraine, on April 29, 2022, at Dover Air Force Base, Del. When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine’s military was largely reliant on Soviet-era weaponry. While that arsenal helped Ukraine fend off an assault on the capital of Kyiv and prevent a total rout in the early weeks of the war, billions of dollars in military assistance has since poured into the country, including more modern Western-made weapons. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) What are cluster munitions?Cluster munitions are weapons that release smaller explosive devices, known as bomblets, over a wide area. Cluster munitions release smaller explosive devices that can cause indiscriminate casualties across a wide area. Additionally, the unexploded bomblets remain hazardous for extended
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