Russian President Vladimir Putin said it would respond in kind if Ukraine used the cluster bombs sent by the US.
Ukraine said it received the supply of cluster bombs sent by the United States late last week.
The country, which is running low on shells as it mounts a counteroffensive against Russian forces, said it will use the cluster munitions to remove concentrations of enemies within its own territory but will not use them on Russian land.
Putin did not care of for distinction, saying Russia has a “sufficient stockpile” of cluster bombs and will make use of them if they are deployed against Russian soldiers in Ukraine.
“I want to note that in the Russian Federation there is a sufficient stockpile of different kinds of cluster bombs. We have not used them yet. But of course if they are used against us, we reserve the right to take reciprocal action,” he said on state TV Moscow.
Putin said he considered the use of cluster bombs as a crime and noted the country had not turned to them despite having ammunition supply issues of their own.
Cluster Bombs Remain Controversial
Over 100 countries have banned the use of cluster bombs.
They are considered particularly dangerous as they release large numbers of smaller “bomblets” which kill indiscriminately over a large area.
They are also notorious for leaving duds, or bomblets that fail to detonate, which pose a threat for decades, particularly to children who stumble upon them.
US President Joe Biden’s decision to send cluster bombs to Ukraine was met with both controversy and praise from Congress.
“This is a war relating to munitions. And they’re running out of that ammunition, and we’re low on it,” Biden said of his authorization.
“What I finally did, I took the recommendation of the Defense Department to, not permanently, but to allow for this transition period, while we get more 155 weapons, these shells, for the Ukrainians.”
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