What are cluster weapons and why are they used in war?

Joe Biden has decided to send cluster weapons to Ukraine, reportedly as part of a new military aid package worth up to $800 million.

Such a move is opposed by human rights groups but could provide a powerful new element to a counteroffensive against Russian forces.

#russia #ukraine #america #usa #bomb #cluster

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[georgeblackley]

Thermobaric weapons are my favourite. They were invented by a South Vietnamese lady scientist, during the Vietnam War, who thought that it would be a good idea if as people were being bombed the air could also be sucked from their lungs at the same time. What a lovely lady. Worked a treat!

[maotseovich]

It took 30 years to clean up all the mines and cluster bomblets used in the Falklands, and that was a _much_ less intense conflict.

[judithjohnson]

This is sick sick sick United States doesn't need to be sending this ship anywhere

[cob]

why are the individual sub-munitions grey with boring writing? why not bright red with skull icons?

[mitchellbaker]

Wow super neutral, not gonna lie I was expecting him to justify their use by Ukraine much more strongly. Good stuff.

[imperatorvespasian]

why use them if the NATO state formally know as Ukraine is winning on all fronts and Russia ran out of missiles in March 2022?

[stanmiggins]

Utter madness sending these to Ukraine? What next napalm?

[jhansen]

USA used them in Vietnam Iraq, and Afghanistan for 35 years total. Ukraine is just another time another place. Russia used many as well 9 years in Afghanistan. We need less wars.

[ChristopherFynn]

I'd rather see Putin and Zelensky settle this in a cage fight.

[ButchCassidyAndSundanceKid]

So they're a bit like popcorns, some of them don't pop after microwaved.

[cct]

I thought these were banned under international law?

[MalcolmJames-sgzg]

they could send cluster bomb confetti, but where would that get them, 🤕 ☹ 😮

[Tyrs_Finox]

The neutral tone of the video is appreciated, not many journalists try to just present the facts.

My personal opinion is that cluster weapons are legitimate weapons of war. They don't really work differently then normal bombs or shells, they just contain many smaller bomblets. All ordnance can cause a UXO hazard (Unexploded Ordnance), cluster munitions just cause more albeit smaller UXO's. It's debatable whether the one is better then the others, but if using cluster munitions will help on the battlefield and save lives, for Ukraine for instance, then they should be able to use them.

[Ivan-wpne]

In March 2022, Psaki stated that if the Russians use cluster munitions, then this should definitely be considered a war crime. It is prohibited by Convention on Clister Munitions, 2008.

Today, the United States announced that it would supply such shells to Ukraine. Well, don’t get surprised if Russia responds with the same

[Pyotr_Troyan]

its basically bunch of hand granades are thrown at the same moment of time

[joewj]

Any use of cluster munitions, anywhere, by anyone, must be condemned, ” Carbonnier said. Much of the world has banned the use of these weapons through the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), which also prohibits the stockpiling, production and transfer of them.

[stanleyquaye]

The fact is that all weapons have made their way into Ukraine and nothing has changed. The only weapon that will change the course of action in Ukraine is peace. Let peace be approved..

[bschanneladdy]

And yet they think these type of weapons are ok for Palestinians

[paulbarrett]

No surprises, pretty sure Nato dropped them on Yugoslavia and Iraq.

[randomworld]

It's actually 700 grenade in a pipe and through it