The US is providing Ukraine with additional military aid to help it defend itself against Russia, and the new package also includes the controversial cluster munitions, DPA reported, citing referred to the State Department.
The package is worth $375 million and also includes ammunition for the Hymars missile systems, artillery shells, armored vehicles and patrol boats. They all come from US military stockpiles.
Cluster munitions are small bombs enclosed in containers that can be launched from the ground or from the air. They are then dispersed over a wide area, with many not detonating on contact and remaining a threat for years, DPA noted. More than 100 countries have banned their use, but neither Russia nor Ukraine have signed the international convention to ban them, which came into force in 2010.
The Ukrainian leadership claims that it needs these weapons to defend itself in the conflict with Russia and to liberate its occupied territories.