KIEV, July 8 (Reuters) – Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov welcomed the U.S. decision to send cluster bombs to Kiev, saying it would help vacate his country’s territory, but vowed that the munitions would not would be used in Russia.
The United States announced on Friday that it will supply Ukraine with cluster munitions for its counteroffensive against the Russian occupation forces.
Reznikov said the munitions would help save the lives of Ukrainian soldiers, adding that kyiv would keep strict records of their use and exchange information with partners.
“Our position is simple: we need to liberate our temporarily occupied territories and save the lives of our people,” Reznikov wrote on Twitter. “Ukraine will use these munitions only to liberate our internationally recognized territories. These munitions will not be used on the officially recognized territory of Russia.”
Cluster munitions are banned by more than 100 countries. They often release large numbers of small bomblets that can kill indiscriminately over a wide area, and those that do not explode pose a hazard for decades.
Reznikov said the military would not use cluster munitions in urban areas and would only use them “to break enemy defensive lines.”
Russia, Ukraine, and the United States have not signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the production, use, stockpiling, and transfer of these weapons.
Spain, a signatory to the convention, said it opposed the decision. Britain is also a signatory to the convention and discourages its use, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.
“We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russia’s unprovoked and illegal invasion,” the official told reporters on Saturday. (Reporting by Olena Harmash. Editing in Spanish by Javier Leira Editing by Ros Russell)
Source: Ambito
