U.S. officials and military analysts warn that American-made cluster munitions probably will not immediately help Ukraine in its flagging counteroffensive against Russian defenses as hundreds of thousands of the weapons arrived in the country from U.S. military depots in Europe, according to Pentagon officials.
“The scale of effect will be modest,” said Jack Watling, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, who has made several trips to Ukraine.
“It will make the Ukrainian artillery a little more lethal.
The real impact will be felt later in the year when Ukraine has significantly more ammo than would otherwise have been the case.”Colin H. Kahl, the under secretary of defense for policy, acknowledged last week that “no one capability is a silver bullet,” but said the cluster munitions would allow Ukraine “to sustain the artillery fight for the foreseeable future.”President Biden had wrestled with a decision for months.
Cluster munitions, which have been outlawed by many of America’s closet allies, scatter tiny bomblets across the battlefield that can cause grievous injuries even decades after the fighting ends when civilians pick up duds that did not explode.
Persons:
”, Jack Watling, ” Colin H, Kahl, Biden
Organizations:
Pentagon, Royal United Services Institute
Locations:
Ukraine, U.S, Europe, London, “