Putin Warns Ukraine: Russia Holds 'Sufficient' Supply of Cluster Bombs

In a recent interview, President Vladimir Putin said Russia had a "sufficient stockpile" of cluster bombs and would take action if Ukraine employed them in the battle. The Russian leader's first public reaction to US cluster bomb deliveries to Ukraine.

Putin denied employing cluster bombs in the Ukrainian war, despite both Russia and Ukraine having used such weapons. Before the airing on Sunday night, reporter Pavel Zarubin for Rossiya TV posted excerpts from the interview on his Telegram channel, as reported by AP News.

The Pentagon acknowledged that the US had sent Ukraine cluster munitions. According to the US, these munitions are essential for giving Kyiv the firepower to sustain its assault and advance toward the Russian front lines.

Before US President Joe Biden finally authorized the transfer last week, the decision to provide cluster bombs to Ukraine was subject to extensive discussion among US policymakers.

What Are Cluster Bombs?

Cluster bombs have a high "dud rate," meaning they commonly leave unexploded bomblets that continue to endanger civilians after fights. These weapons may be dropped, launched, or sunk and contain numerous explosives.

Due to cluster bombs being highly dangerous, over 100 countries, including the UK, France, and Germany, have signed a treaty banning cluster bombs.

Russia and Ukraine have employed cluster bombs since Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Neither nation has signed the cluster munitions moratorium pact. While not a signatory, the US has frequently chastised Russia for using these weapons.

Russian cluster bombs have a 40% "dud rate, " leaving many unexploded bomblets on the ground. The typical dud rate is roughly 20%. The Pentagon claims that cluster bomblets have a 3% failure rate, per BBC.

Like Russia, Ukraine's military is running out of artillery rounds due to its heavy consumption. However, Ukraine's Western allies cannot replace artillery ammunition soon enough.

Southern and eastern Ukraine's static battlefronts have made artillery important.

Supporters of the US decision believe the prospect of Russia using cluster bombs in Ukraine shows that US-supplied weapons have been enhanced to prevent unexploded rounds.

Kyiv has pledged to use the weapons away from heavily populated regions in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Vladimir Putin's exact statements remain unknown. In the early phases of the conflict, former White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that Russia's deployment of cluster bombs would be a war crime.

Russia's head of state also denied using cluster bombs, despite proof.

The UN found 24 reliable complaints of Russian troops using cluster bombs in civilian areas in March. Last year, Kremlin launched 11 cluster rockets into Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, during the initial phase of the Russia-Ukraine war, according to a CNN report.

Russia Reportedly Shot Down Attack Drones in Crimea

Crimea remains tense despite the Russian assertion that a drone attack was thwarted. A "massive and prolonged" drone strike hit Russia's Black Sea Fleet facility in Sevastopol.

Sevastopol governor Mikhail Razvozhaev said air defense systems downed 10 drones without casualties or property damage, per Euronews.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, its anti-aircraft defense brought down two drones while jamming devices rendered five more unusable. The ministry noted that two Ukrainian army naval drones operating on the water's surface were also allegedly destroyed.

Crimea, which Russia illegitimately acquired in 2014, has seen numerous drone strikes from the air and sea ever since the operation against Ukraine started in February 2022.