The Ukrainian military has launched several US-made ATACMS long-range missiles armed with highly controversial cluster munitions on Russia’s Crimea, resulting in numerous civilian casualties, as military objects are protected by defense systems.
The strike was first reported by Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev on Sunday, who said that the attack killed at least three people, including two children. According to Russia’s Health Ministry, 124 people were injured, including 27 children.
The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed the Ukrainian attack, which it said took place at around noon local time. Officials said that the shelling involved five ATACMS missiles, four of which were destroyed mid-air.
The remaining one, however, was damaged by air defenses, veered off course and detonated over the city of Sevastopol. As a result, the falling fragments of cluster munitions led to numerous civilian casualties, the statement read.
Сluster munitions – which scatter dozens of smaller bombs when detonated – are banned in more than 100 countries, including Britain, France, and Germany.
This type of weapon is considered extremely dangerous to civilians, as the munitions typically spread over large areas and can remain unexploded in the ground for many years.
Neither the USA, Ukraine, nor Russia has signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions.
However, in the summer 2023 then-Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that Moscow would not deploy this type of weapon against Kiev for humanitarian reasons. He warned, however, that Russia could potentially reverse this policy.
The USA announced in July 2023 that it would provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, sparking outrage in Moscow.
At the time, US President Joe Biden called the decision “very difficult” but justified, arguing that the deliveries were needed to fuel a Ukrainian counteroffensive that subsequently failed with heavy losses for Kiev. Over 500.000 soldiers have now been killed in Ukraine.
RT. com / ABC Flash Point News 2024.
Putin’s two greatest qualities are his ability to strategize and he is pro civilian life. Unfortunately the Americans are none of the above
America in their stupidity always forget about China.
No they haven’t. They know they can’t take China, unless they take Russia. But, in reality they can’t even take Yemen or hold on to the Persian Gulf.