Cluster Munitions Cause Over 1,200 Civilian Casualties in Ukraine, Report Finds

A new report by international human rights activists confirms that the use of cluster munitions in the Russian-Ukrainian war since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 has already resulted in more than 1,200 civilian casualties in Ukraine.

The Gaze reports on it, referring to Reuters.

In a new report, Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor notes that both sides of the conflict continued to use these munitions, with the Russian army being particularly active. Attacks on residential areas have killed dozens of civilians and injured hundreds more.

Cluster munitions are dangerous because they scatter numerous small bombs over a large area, some of which do not explode immediately, posing a threat to civilians for many years to come. Victims often suffer severe injuries that require lifelong medical care.

Neither Russia nor Ukraine is a party to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, which has been ratified by 112 states. 

The US reportedly transferred cluster munitions to Ukraine at least seven times in 2023–2024, including through Germany, which is itself a party to the convention. The administration of President Donald Trump has assured that there will be no new deliveries.

At the same time, 2025 saw several alarming signals for global humanitarian disarmament. Lithuania became the first country to withdraw from the Convention on Cluster Munitions, and Ukraine left the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines, citing the growing military threat from Russia. 

Experts warn of the danger of a “domino effect” that could undermine international efforts to reduce the use of prohibited weapons.

As of June 26, 2025, The Gaze reported that Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Russia’s widespread and deliberate use of cluster munitions, documenting at least 5,974 cases. Russian forces have repeatedly targeted both military and civilian areas with weapons such as Smerch, Grad, Uragan, Tochka-U, and air-dropped bombs, causing mass casualties in Ukrainian cities. 

Ukraine called on the international community to impose tougher sanctions on Russia, accelerate the supply of air defense and long-range strike systems, and invest in Ukraine’s defense industry to protect civilians and resist further aggression.

As The Gaze previously informed, the number of confirmed civilian casualties in government-controlled areas of Ukraine rose by more than 50% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, largely due to Russia’s ongoing use of wide-impact explosive weapons in densely populated areas.