Kyiv had launched its own drones and anti-aircraft missiles into Russian territory before, but never American-made high-tech M42 guided rockets. The US green-lighted the launches on Friday.
They’re not outlawed. There’s a treaty that many countries belong to that prohibits parties to the treaty from using them, but neither of Ukraine nor Russia are party to it (nor is the US, for that matter):
It’s not illegal for Russia or Ukraine to use them. But legalities aside, at some point after the war, all of the UXO – and not just the cluster munitions, but stuff like the mines and dud unitary-warhead weapons and abandoned explosives and all that sort of stuff – is going to be a hazard until people have gone through and cleared the areas.
It should also be noted that Ukraine didn’t ask for cluster munitions until Russia constantly bombarded them with cluster munitions, including within Kharkiv city. So my sympathies for Russia facing unexploded bomblets is quite frankly not there.
They’re not outlawed. There’s a treaty that many countries belong to that prohibits parties to the treaty from using them, but neither of Ukraine nor Russia are party to it (nor is the US, for that matter):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_Cluster_Munitions
It’s not illegal for Russia or Ukraine to use them. But legalities aside, at some point after the war, all of the UXO – and not just the cluster munitions, but stuff like the mines and dud unitary-warhead weapons and abandoned explosives and all that sort of stuff – is going to be a hazard until people have gone through and cleared the areas.
It should also be noted that Ukraine didn’t ask for cluster munitions until Russia constantly bombarded them with cluster munitions, including within Kharkiv city. So my sympathies for Russia facing unexploded bomblets is quite frankly not there.
I stand corrected
Which all could be avoided had Russia not violated the sovereignty of Ukraine.
Yup. But here we are.