Jul 21, 2023
YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images
- A new video reportedly shows Ukraine launching cluster munitions against Russian infantry in the Donetsk Oblast.
- In the aerial video, bright points of light burst where the munitions explode across the battlefield.
- It’s a powerful visual of how controversial and devastating weapons work.
Earlier this month, the US announced a shipment of controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine. And now, a new video shows Kyiv is already making use of it — to devastating effects.
The footage, posted by the Ukraine war monitoring account OSINTdefender, reportedly shows the first use of cluster munitions near Krasnohorivka, a city west of Donetsk and just south of Bakhmut.
In the video, the bomblets released from the cluster bomb canister are launched across an area. The spots hit by munitions pop in bright light randomly, demonstrating the chaos of using cluster bombs on the battlefield.
When the US announced it’d be sending cluster bombs as a part of an $800 million package, American officials said the weapons would be a boon for Kyiv as it grapples with other munition shortages.
Despite their effectiveness, especially at clearing uncovered trenches and artillery lines, cluster munitions aren’t a silver bullet for Ukraine. Part of the problem is the individual dud rate of each bomblet, meaning the munition could fail to explode and become a landmine instead.
That issue has prompted more than 100 countries to ban the use of cluster bombs, and while the US has assured the munitions it sent to Ukraine had a dud rate of just 2.35%, Insider previously reported that analysis indicates the failure rate could be as high as 1o% to 30%.
Despite the failure rates of the bomblets, these munitions are an important tool to help cleanse the country of cockroaches. Having this horde in Ukraine is far worse than having duds.
“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s marmalise the orcs” can be sung to the tune in the video.
Take out 3000/day and their occupation will become untenable.
These munitions are a great addition to turn orcs into mud, but, ultimately, we need the capacity to eliminate their supply depots and supply venues, such as was done in Kherson region, and their counter-battery capacities to move faster.
Obviously Ukraine needs to smash these deep fortifications that putinaZi engineers built. An American force would have gone for 24/7 shock and awe precision bombing and cruise missiles for a period of weeks before going in.
Ukraine does not have that luxury. I think attack drones like Grey Eagles and Reapers would be a great help.
But really, the ATACMS are the only thing that will re-energize the counteroffensive.
But, first, old sleepy must contemplate about sending ATACMS a bit longer. Maybe a month or two, maybe a year or so. We’ll see…
Wow. Really impressive. As for duds I keep reading that the misfire rate for US cluster bombs is between 2-4% compared to 30-40% of the orcs. If this is true I don’t see the issue.
There isn’t an issue anyway, Cap, seeing that the Ukrainians are using them on their own turf and that the cockroaches already infested the landscapes with all sorts of mines, duds, lost and abandoned ammo.
U.S. needs to expand to providing DPICMs for all available platforms as well as continue to provide it for the 155mm. Maximize impact abilities for what Ukraine has and provision of the the new weapons Ukraine wants and needs like the F-16s and ATACMS is what will enable Ukraine to crush the orcs once and for all.
It’s high time that NATO got stuck in, boots on the ground with aerial supremacy. We’ve seen too little too late for too long. The war needs to be won as quickly as possible.
It’s just too bad that such thinking is far too daring for the various chickens in Western capitals.
Sad but true Sir Facts. Why is current leadership so full of marshmallows without any guts or grit.