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Kyiv [Ukraine], July 14: Ukraine's armed forces have received cluster munitions that the US promises will help bolster Kyiv's counter-offensive, according to the two countries' senior military commanders.
"We have just received cluster munitions, we have not used them yet, but this type of ammunition can completely change (the battlefield)," General OleksandrTarnavskyi, commander of the army in southern Ukraine, told CNN on July 13. .
"The enemy also understands that by having this ammunition, we will have an advantage," said General Tarnavskyi, declaring that Ukrainian forces will not use this ammunition in densely populated areas.
US Lieutenant General Douglas Sims later confirmed the information, saying that " cluster munitions are in Ukraine", according to AFP. When asked about the slower-than-expected pace of the Ukraine counter-attack, Mr Sims told journalists that "it was a tough fight, in really difficult terrain".
Last week, the US announced it would supply cluster munitions to Ukraine to support the fight against Russian forces, despite concerns about the long-term risk posed to civilians by small munitions that fail to explode. .
US President Joe Biden has said the decision to supply cluster munitions was "very difficult" but stressed that Ukraine needed more ammunition to replenish its depleted stockpile.
Meanwhile, TASS news agency today quoted Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova as saying that Russia will give a proportionate response to the ability of the Ukrainian armed forces to use cluster munitions.
"Russia is aware of the danger that cluster munitions pose to civilians. That's why [Russia] has never used them in [Russia's] special military operation in Ukraine. However, if If the Ukrainian armed forces decide to use this ammunition, [Russia] will be forced to give a corresponding answer," Zakharova stressed in an interview with International Life magazine .
Earlier, the Kremlin had vowed to take "retaliatory measures" if Ukraine deployed cluster munitions against the Russian military, according to AFP.
Source: ThanhNien Newspaper