The Ukrainian military has pledged to employ controversial, U.S.-provided cluster munitions exclusively in areas where Russian troops are amassed in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
The assurances, issued at a security forum in Vienna this week, came amid reports that Ukraine has begun using cluster bombs to blast Russian troops out of heavily fortified positions along the war’s front lines.
“Ukraine remains fully committed to its obligations under international law,” said Natalia Kostenko, who represented Kyiv at the forum. “Cluster munitions will not be used on the internationally recognized territory of Russia.”
The Ukraine media outlet Ukrinform.net quoted Kostenko saying the military command was carefully assessing the “potential risks” to the civilian population. The Washington Post, citing an unnamed Ukrainian official, said the weapons were already being used.
President Joe Biden’s decision this month to provide Ukrainian troops with the controversial weapons ignited condemnation from some NATO allies and even fellow Democrats in Congress. The White House said the weapons were needed because of a shortage of conventional artillery ammunition. Many NATO nations signed a treaty prohibiting the use of cluster munitions because they disperse smaller “bomblets” that can explode later and remain deadly for decades.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Ukraine days ago that use of the weapons could result in unspecified “reciprocal action” from Russian forces. Western officials say Russia already uses cluster bombs, which Russia denies. Neither Ukraine, Russia nor the U.S. has signed the ban treaty.
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Developments:
◾The foreign ministers of Ukraine and Pakistan called Thursday for the restoration of the Black Sea Grain Initiative to ensure global food security. Russia shut down the deal Monday. Pakistan is a major importer of Ukraine grain.
◾Russian businessman Oleg Tinkov, who renounced his citizenship late last year, was dropped from United Kingdom sanctions lists. British billionaire Richard Branson was among those lobbying on behalf of Tinkov, who was not sanctioned by the U.S.
◾The Belarusian military and members of the mercenary Wagner Group will hold four days of joint training in the region of Belarus near the Polish border, the Belarusian Defense Ministry announced.
◾Intensified Russian attacks across several provinces killed at least five people and wounded 38 over a 24-hour period, Ukraine authorities said Thursday.
Ukraine military leader admits disappointment with gains
The leader of Ukraine’s ground forces admitted Thursday that his country’s much-anticipated counteroffensive is not gaining back seized Russian territory as quickly as he had hoped.
Oleksandr Syrskyi said his forces are moving forward about a half-mile daily while encountering Russian forces that have dug in along the eastern front near Bakhmut and other hotly contested cities and towns.
“The entire large territory is fortified in terms of engineering,” Syrskyi said. “There are many strong points. Therefore, all advances are really not going as fast as we would like.”
Syrskyi said Russia has an overwhelming advantage in troops and ammunition. But he said his military is successful because it plans operations very carefully.
“Every operation is well thought out. Each day of such offensive actions is planned in detail, so we have much fewer losses in personnel,” Syrskyi said. “Every day we move forward.”
Earlier this week, U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters the Ukrainian counteroffensive has been slowed by the Russians’ complex system of defenses erected over several months. But he said the troops manning those lines are poorly trained and equipped and suffer from poor leadership and morale.
Milley said it’s too early to assess the counteroffensive but added that “it’s far from a failure in my view.”
Putin warns UkrainePutin warns Ukraine on use of cluster munitions supplied by US: Live updates
EU policy chief says Russia creating global food crisis
Russia has triggered a major global food supply crisis by suspending the Black Sea Grain Initiative and by bombing Ukraine’s grain storage facilities, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told reporters Thursday at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels. The ministers met to discuss their support for Ukraine, including a proposal to spend up to $22 billion on weapons, ammunition and other military aid over four years.
“There is only one solution: to increase military support to Ukraine,” Borrell said. “If they are being bombed, we have to provide anti-aerial capacity. If Russia is using drones, we have to provide (Ukraine) with anti-aerial capacity.”
EU governments also are considering a plan to provide 55 billion euros in economic aid to Ukraine over the same four-year period.
Russia could be preparing to attack civilian ships, White House warns
The White House warned that the Russian military could be preparing to attack civilian shipping vessels in the Black Sea. Since leaving the Black Sea grain agreement this week, Russia has hammered Ukraine’s grain ports with missiles and drones. An estimated 60,000 tons of grain were destroyed in the attacks.
“Our information indicates that Russia laid additional sea mines in the approaches to Ukrainian ports,” White House National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge said in a statement. “We believe that this is a coordinated effort to justify any attacks against civilian ships in the Black Sea and lay blame on Ukraine for these attacks.”
The British Defense Ministry, in its latest assessment of the war, said the Russian Black Sea Fleet will likely take a more active role in disrupting any trade that continues, but that those blockade operations will be at risk from Ukrainian uncrewed surface vehicles and cruise missiles.
Contributing: The Associated Press
