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The US Department of Defense has approved the delivery of “hundreds of thousands” of artillery-launched cluster munitions in an US$800 million security assistance package for Ukraine.
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The Pentagon is providing dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICM) for the first time to Ukraine after extensive consultation with Congress and US allies.
The package also includes additional munitions for US-provided Patriot air defence systems and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, additional Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, additional Stryker armoured personnel carriers, precision aerial munitions, demolition munitions and systems for obstacle clearing, various spare parts, and operational sustainment equipment.
The DPICM will be drawn from Defense Department stock originally designed to disperse submunitions from the air.
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Colin H Kahl said the Pentagon is providing the new capability to Ukraine in order to meet the “urgency of the moment” as Ukrainians continue their counteroffensive.
“This is to make sure that the Ukrainians have the confidence that they have what they need, but frankly also that the Russians know that Ukrainians are going to stay in the game,” he said.
“This decision will ensure we can sustain our support for Ukraine by bringing us to a point where we are producing sufficient artillery ammunition on a monthly basis across the coalition.
“For the past year and a half, President Biden has been clear that we will support Ukraine for as long as it takes.
“Throughout the Kremlin’s vicious war of choice, the Ukrainian forces have effectively leveraged assistance and shown outstanding bravery and skill.
“Ukraine’s fight is a marathon, not a sprint. So we will continue to provide Ukraine with the urgent capabilities that it needs to meet the moment, as well as what it needs to keep itself secure for the long term from Russian aggression.”
US officials have declared that specific rounds being fielded have been assessed to have a dud rate, rate of unexploded submunitions, of 2.35 per cent.
The US has also obtained written assurances from Ukrainian officials that the munitions will be employed responsibly and will not be used in civilian-populated urban environments.
Cluster munitions have already been used in the conflict and US alleges those employed by Russia throughout Ukraine since the start of the war have dud rates of up to 40 per cent.
“Ukraine also has committed to post-conflict demining efforts to mitigate any potential harm to civilians,” Under Secretary Kahl said.
“The United States has already invested more than $95 million in Ukraine’s demining activities and we will provide more support to help Ukraine mitigate the impacts of cluster munition use by both sides in this conflict.
“By providing Ukraine with DPICM artillery ammunition, we will ensure that the Ukrainian military has sufficient artillery ammunition for many months to come.
“I’m as concerned about the humanitarian circumstance as anybody but the worst thing for civilians in Ukraine is for Russia to win the war. And so it’s important that they don’t.”
The Biden administration has committed more than $41.3 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
