Cluster munitions that can launch hundreds of little killer bomblets over the battlefield have an unarguable value for a military commander who wants to disrupt enemy defensive positions.
They have already been used by both sides in the war in Ukraine. But a delivery of thousands of the American versions would give Kyiv a significant, albeit controversial, advantage in clearing the massive dug-out trenches and minefields that have seriously slowed Ukraine’s counter-offensive advances in recent weeks.
The Pentagon’s view is that cluster munitions are legitimate weapons with clear military utility. In Ukraine they will also be used to attack Russian troop formations on the move, as well as disabling mechanised vehicles. Above all, they will help compensate for the Russian advantage in both troop and
