U.S. cluster munitions arrive in Ukraine

Cluster munitions, intended to support Ukraine in its efforts against Russian aggression, have been delivered to the country by the U.S. As per The Associated Press, Douglas Sims, the Joint Staff J3 director of operations, confirmed on Thursday (local time) that cluster bombs had arrived in Ukraine. It has been six days since the Biden administration made the decision to provide cluster bombs as a temporary measure while producing shells for Ukraine.

In a CNN interview on the same day, Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Army, shared his anticipation regarding the recent development. “This could bring a significant shift in the dynamics of the battlefield,” he said. Cluster munitions, often called “steel rain” due to their destructive nature, comprise multiple smaller bombs housed within a larger shell. However, their potential risk to civilian populations has triggered controversy worldwide.

During a joint press conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö in Helsinki, Finland, President Biden was asked about his perspective on the duration of the war in Ukraine. He responded, “Putin’s already lost the war. There is no possibility of him winning the war in Ukraine.” When asked about the potential of Russia utilizing nuclear weapons, President Biden said, “I don't think there's any real prospect of Putin using nuclear weapons.”

When asked the whereabouts of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Wagner Group, a Russian private mercenary company associated with an armed rebellion, President Biden said, “If I were he, I'd be careful what I eat.”

In an interview with Russia's state-run TV channel, President Putin warned about Western countries' ongoing military support to Ukraine, saying, “Western tanks are a priority target for Russian forces. I can say that Ukrainian servicemen often refuse to get into those [Western] tanks because they are a top priority target for our guys and are being destroyed first on the battlefield. And they burn like the rest — probably even better than the Soviet-made ones like T-72.”


Sung-Hwi Kang yolo@donga.com