https://sputnikglobe.com/20230706/ukraine-may-use-cluster-ammo-against-civilians-as-part-of-terror-tactics-1111703767.html
Ukraine May Use Cluster Ammo Against Civilians as Part of Terror Tactics
Ukraine May Use Cluster Ammo Against Civilians as Part of Terror Tactics
Sputnik International
President Joe Biden is due to decide whether or not to provide deadly cluster munitions to Ukraine later this week, US press reported on Thursday, citing unnamed US officials.
2023-07-06T18:13+0000
2023-07-06T18:13+0000
2023-07-06T18:13+0000
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"I don't even doubt that cluster munitions will be supplied [to Ukraine]," Russian military expert Yury Knutov told Sputnik. "I have no doubts that F-16 fighters or their analogs produced in Europe will [likewise] be delivered. I also believe that in the foreseeable future – if by this time the issue of continuing hostilities isn't resolved through peaceful negotiations – Apache-type attack helicopters and, possibly, even ATACMS missiles with a range of 300 kilometers will be sent to Ukraine. And maybe more, since the version that is supplied to the Pentagon has a range of 500 km."Knutov's stance stems from the Biden administration's continuous experiments with Russia's "red line", something that has already been denounced by some US scholars as dangerous and risky gambling.Will Cluster Munitions Be Battlefield Game Changer?Previously, Biden repeatedly rejected Kiev's requests to provide cluster shells to the Ukrainian military even though the widely prohibited munitions are not banned by the US. Now that the Ukrainian army has failed to achieve any tangible results at the beginning of its much-anticipated counteroffensive, the discussion about sending Kiev cluster munitions has caught its second wind.Last month, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia Laura Cooper went so far as to tell the US lawmakers on the House Foreign Affairs Committee that dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICM) – another name for cluster shells – "would be useful, especially against dug-in Russian positions on the battlefield."However, it's unlikely that the provision of the notorious ammo would anyhow improve the Ukrainian Army's odds of winning the conflict, according to Earl Rasmussen, a retired lieutenant colonel with over 20 years in the US Army and as a international consultant."[Still], there's no way that this is going to change the course of the battle. I actually don't even see F-16s changing the course of the battle in the direction that they're going. So, no, this is just another wonder weapon that they're hoping to add to their arsenal. And it will not change the outcome," the retired lieutenant colonel continued.The weapon has been prohibited by the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) since it poses an immediate threat to civilians. Besides inaccurately and indiscriminately hitting people and objects over a wide area, myriads of unexploded remnants of cluster bombs continue to endanger civilians long after the conflict.How Kiev Instrumentalizes Terror TacticsHowever, it's plausible that the Ukrainian military would also use these shells against civilian areas of the newly-joined Russian regions, according to the expert."Seeing how they've treated Donbass, I have concern that they may actually use them in civilian areas, which is completely against any type of treaty," Rasmussen said. "But that doesn't seem to bother them anyhow. So I have concerns on how they're going to use that. And they may use it against the civilian population.Knutov is also inclined to think that the deadly cluster munitions would be used by the Kiev regime for terrorizing civilians in new Russian regions – Zaporozhye, Kherson, Donetsk and Lugansk – in order to ignite fear, discontent and protests."From the point of view of the psychological impact on the civilian population, of course, the effect would be quite significant. The Kiev regime wants to get these munitions to cause as many casualties among civilian inhabitants of cities and villages as possible, to trigger dissatisfaction with the fact that the [Russian] authorities cannot protect them. [Kiev's calculation is] that the people would begin to demand the conclusion of a peace agreement on the terms of the Kiev regime. That is the main purpose of these attacks."Assessing this scenario, Knutov noted that it is nothing short of a "terrorist" tactic.Meanwhile, Rasmussen expressed hope that sanity will prevail and the Biden administration wouldn't send deadly shells to Ukraine. He referred to the fact that many of the EU member states are part of the UN treaty that bans the use of cluster weapons. The UK, France, Germany, and several Scandinavian countries have policies against the controversial weapon. Still, Team Biden appears to be in a desperate move, so no scenario can be ruled out, the retired lieutenant colonel concluded.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230628/us-record-of-cluster-bombs-rings-alarm-bells-for-ukrainians-1111528359.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230706/us-based-arms-control-association-warns-against-supplying-cluster-munitions-to-kiev-1111700922.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230706/us-may-approve-cluster-munitions-to-ukraine-this-week-despite-russian-objections-1111690396.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230512/kiev-terrorizes-donbass-civilians-since-it-cannot-win-on-battlefield-1110294477.html
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Ukraine May Use Cluster Ammo Against Civilians as Part of Terror Tactics
President Joe Biden is due to decide whether or not to provide deadly cluster munitions to Ukraine later this week, US press reported on Thursday, citing unnamed US officials.
"I don't even doubt that
cluster munitions will be supplied [to Ukraine]," Russian military expert Yury Knutov told Sputnik. "I have no doubts that F-16 fighters or their analogs produced in Europe will [likewise] be delivered. I also believe that in the foreseeable future – if by this time the issue of continuing hostilities isn't resolved through peaceful negotiations – Apache-type attack helicopters and, possibly, even ATACMS missiles with a range of 300 kilometers will be sent to Ukraine. And maybe more, since the version that is supplied to the Pentagon has a range of 500 km."
Knutov's stance stems from the Biden administration's continuous experiments with Russia's "red line", something that has already been denounced by some US scholars as dangerous and risky gambling.
"To what extent are the Americans ready to go and help the Kiev regime?" the Russian expert asked, assuming that Team Biden would not stop until the situation teetered on the brink of a third world war.
Will Cluster Munitions Be Battlefield Game Changer?
Previously, Biden repeatedly rejected Kiev's
requests to provide cluster shells to the Ukrainian military even though the widely prohibited munitions are not banned by the US. Now that the Ukrainian army has failed to achieve any tangible results at the beginning of its much-anticipated counteroffensive, the discussion about sending Kiev cluster munitions has caught its second wind.
Last month, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia Laura Cooper went so far as to tell the US lawmakers on the House Foreign Affairs Committee that dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICM) – another name for cluster shells – "would be useful, especially against dug-in Russian positions on the battlefield."
However, it's unlikely that the provision of the notorious ammo would anyhow improve the Ukrainian Army's odds of winning the conflict, according to Earl Rasmussen, a retired lieutenant colonel with over 20 years in the US Army and as a international consultant.
"The cluster munitions are basically ammunition that when one relieves has several subcomponents or some bomblets in it, everything from two to hundreds," Rasmussen told Sputnik. "Typically they're used to fire towards mass troop movements or armor movements or things like that. There's a lot of conflict, there's a lot of discussion around it, and they're very controversial. I think in Ukraine, they may be justifying them to counter the overwhelming force as another means to address any type of Russian advance or offensive or Russian troop concentration."
"[Still], there's no way that this is going to change the course of the battle. I actually don't even see F-16s changing the course of the battle in the direction that they're going. So, no, this is just another wonder weapon that they're hoping to add to their arsenal. And it will not change the outcome," the retired lieutenant colonel continued.
The weapon has been prohibited by the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) since it poses an immediate threat to civilians. Besides inaccurately and indiscriminately hitting people and objects over a wide area, myriads of unexploded remnants of cluster bombs continue to endanger civilians long after the conflict.
How Kiev Instrumentalizes Terror Tactics
However, it's plausible that the Ukrainian military would also use these shells against civilian areas of the newly-joined Russian regions, according to the expert.
"Seeing how they've treated Donbass, I have concern that they may actually use them in civilian areas, which is completely against any type of treaty," Rasmussen said. "But that doesn't seem to bother them anyhow. So I have concerns on how they're going to use that. And they may use it against the civilian population.
Knutov is also inclined to think that the deadly cluster munitions would be used by the Kiev regime for terrorizing civilians in new Russian regions – Zaporozhye, Kherson, Donetsk and Lugansk – in order to ignite fear, discontent and protests.
"We remember how [Ukrainian military] repeatedly fired Tochka-U missiles equipped with a cluster munitions warhead against Donetsk civilians who simply walked along the streets, gathered in the city center for some events, and the explosion of these supplies led to a large number of victims," Knutov said.
"From the point of view of the psychological impact on the civilian population, of course, the effect would be quite significant. The Kiev regime wants to get these munitions to cause as
many casualties among civilian inhabitants of cities and villages as possible, to trigger dissatisfaction with the fact that the [Russian] authorities cannot protect them. [Kiev's calculation is] that the people would begin to demand the conclusion of a peace agreement on the terms of the Kiev regime. That is the main purpose of these attacks."
Assessing this scenario, Knutov noted that it is nothing short of a "terrorist" tactic.
"By and large, this is a tactic of international terrorism that is used against ordinary citizens," the expert said. "But the Kiev regime is betting on terror, and we have already seen this more than once, starting with the explosion on the Crimean Bridge. In addition, there was the explosion of the Odessa-Tolyatti ammonia pipeline, regular shelling of Donbass, shelling of hospitals and schools. That is, many more examples can be cited that confirm that the tactics of international terrorism have been embraced by the Kiev regime."
Meanwhile, Rasmussen expressed hope that sanity will prevail and the Biden administration wouldn't send deadly shells to Ukraine. He referred to the fact that many of the EU member states are part of the UN treaty that bans the use of cluster weapons. The UK, France, Germany, and several Scandinavian countries have policies against the controversial weapon. Still, Team Biden appears to be in a desperate move, so no scenario can be ruled out, the retired lieutenant colonel concluded.
