Since Russia’s full-scale invasion / special military operations (SMO) of Ukraine began in February 2022, cluster munitions have caused over 1,200 civilian casualties, according to a Monday report from the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC).
The group highlighted “concerning setbacks” in global efforts to eliminate these weapons.
The CMC’s annual report noted that Ukraine has recorded the highest annual cluster munition casualties globally since the war’s escalation.
Russia has heavily employed these widely prohibited weapons from the conflict’s outset, while Ukraine has also used them and faced allegations of deploying them inside Russia.
At least 193 cluster munition casualties were recorded in Ukraine in 2024, out of 314 globally, the report said.
In total, more than 1,200 such casualties have been registered in Ukraine since the start of the war, most of them in 2022.
But the report stressed that the figure was surely a dramatic underestimate, pointing out that last year alone, Ukraine suffered around 40 cluster munition attacks where casualty numbers were not given.
Tip Of The Iceberg
The reported casualty figures are “the tip of the iceberg”, Loren Persi, head of the Cluster Munition Monitor Impact Team, told reporters in Geneva.
“All indications are that… there would be hundreds of casualties more at least, if not thousands.”
Cluster munitions can be dropped from planes or fired from artillery before exploding in mid-air and scattering bomblets over a wide area.
They pose a lasting threat since many fail to explode on impact, effectively acting as landmines that can explode years later.
Neither Russia nor Ukraine are among the 112 states that are party to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the use, transfer, production and storage of cluster bombs.
The only other two countries where cluster munition attacks were officially registered last year — Myanmar and Syria — have not joined the convention either.
In addition, the report highlighted suspected use by Thailand during a brief border conflict with Cambodia last July, while Israel alleged that Iran used the weapons in June.
Palestinian authorities have also accused Israel of using cluster munitions in the conflict in Gaza, but the monitor said there was no conclusive evidence of such use.
The United States, also not a party to the treaty, sparked outcry with its 2023 decision to transfer cluster munitions to Kyiv.
It has since transferred the weapons to Ukraine in at least seven separate shipments, CMC said, adding that it was unaware of any transfers since Donald Trump returned to the US presidency in January.
Submunitions with Korean language markings have meanwhile been found in Ukrainian-controlled territory this year, but the report said it remained unclear if they had been used by the North Korean forces fighting alongside Russians in the war, or if they had simply been acquired from North Korea by Russia for Russian use.
At a global level, CMC also warned of “troubling setbacks” threatening efforts to establish new international norms stigmatising the use of cluster munitions.
Lithuania in March this year became the first ever country to withdraw from the treaty, six months after it announced it was leaving, citing regional security concerns.
Tamar Gabelnick, head of the Cluster Munition Coalition, decried Lithuania’s departure, warning that it “undermines the norm created by the convention, with catastrophic implications for the rule of international law protecting civilians”.
“We have already seen the impact this decision has had on the Mine Ban Treaty, and states should be extremely wary of a wider domino effect.”
Earlier in March, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk unveiled a series of defense initiatives, including the potential withdrawal from a key anti-landmine treaty and mandatory military training for adult men, as Poland ramps up its security measures amid tensions with neighboring Russia.
A steadfast supporter of Ukraine, Poland has been bolstering its military capabilities, particularly in response to Russia’s actions and calls from U.S. President Donald Trump for Europe to take greater responsibility for its own defense.
Already a leader in NATO military spending, Poland plans to allocate 4.7% of its GDP to defense in 2025 and is now exploring additional steps to strengthen its forces.
“We’re in a critical race for security,” Tusk told parliament, emphasizing the need for Poland to adopt cutting-edge technologies, including nuclear and unconventional weapons, to maximize its defense potential.
“We will seize every opportunity to enhance our security,” Tusk announced a new military training program, set to launch by year’s end, aimed at preparing every adult male in Poland for potential conflict.
The initiative seeks to transform civilians into capable reserve soldiers, ensuring a robust military reserve to counter emerging threats.
Tusk also advocated for Poland’s potential exit from the Ottawa Convention, which bans anti-personnel landmines, and possibly the Dublin Convention on cluster munitions.
“We must acknowledge the reality: those we fear, or those at war, possess these weapons,” Tusk said, noting their use by adversaries despite their devastating impact.
Anti-personnel landmines, often hidden or buried, cause severe injuries and long-term harm to civilians, prompting strong opposition from humanitarian groups. The Ottawa Convention prohibits their use, production, stockpiling, and transfer.
This move drew sharp criticism from groups like Amnesty International, which called it “disastrous,” and Human Rights Watch, which labeled it “alarming,” while the ICRC warned of weakened civilian protections.
Tusk dismissed potential criticism, stating, “We won’t shy away from anyone’s judgment. Our priority is Poland’s safety.”
