Putin Tells Ukraine He Has Cluster Munitions, Too

US just sent a shipment to ally
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 16, 2023 5:35 PM CDT
Putin: Russia Will Respond in Kind to Cluster Bombs Use
Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with journalists Thursday in Moscow.   (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Ukraine that its military is not the only one with cluster munitions. And should Ukraine use them against his nation during their war, Putin said, Russia "reserves the right to take reciprocal action." The message was delivered in a Rossiya TV interview put on Telegram on Sunday, USA Today reports. Ukraine has just received a US shipment of cluster munitions but says it hasn't used any yet, per CNN.

The ammunition scatters explosive material, making the bombs especially dangerous to civilians when deployed near populated areas. More 100 countries have prohibited their use, and human rights groups have denounced it, as well. "Russia has a sufficient supply of various types of cluster munitions," Putin said in the interview. "If they are used against us, we reserve the right to mirror actions." He said his military has not used cluster bombs anywhere yet, though the UN said in March it had credible reports that Russian forces had used them at least 24 times in populated areas, per CNN. Their use by Ukraine has been documented as well, per the AP. (More cluster bomb stories.)

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