Russia Is Using 'Forbidden Weapons' In Ukraine Attack; Putin's 'Aggression Intensifies,' MP Says

A member of Ukraine’s Parliament on Monday accused Russia of using forbidden weapons in the war, adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attack on the country is intensifying.

In a Twitter post, Ukrainian MP Lesia Vasylenko said the cities of Ochakiv and Mykolaiv were hit with cassette bombs, a weapon that is banned for use under the Convention on Cluster Munitions (Oslo Conventions). Vasylenko noted that Russia is losing “all limits” as the war stretches into its eighth week.

“Ochakiv hit with cassette bombs today. These are forbidden weapons used in the Mykolaiv region. Russia’s aggression intensifies and loses all limits by the day,” the Ukrainian MP wrote.

Cassette bombs, also known as cluster bombs, are weapons that are filled with small explosive bombs called “sub-munitions.” Cluster bombs, when fired, open in the air and release the sub-munitions. The smaller explosives scatter over a large area without any accuracy.

Cluster bombs can kill, injure or maim anyone they hit. Up to 87% of recorded cluster bombs victims have been civilians, according to an analysis by Humanity & Inclusion. Additionally, up to 40% of sub-munitions do not explode upon impact, posing a threat to civilians, especially those in heavily populated areas.

The use of cluster bombs does not violate international law. However, using the bombs against civilians can be a violation of the international humanitarian law (IHL).

“The part of international law where this starts playing (a role), though is indiscriminate attacks targeting civilians,” Human Rights Watch’s associate arms director Mark Hiznay told AP News. “So that’s not necessarily related to the weapons, but the way the weapons are used.”

The Oslo Convention bans the use, production, transferring and stockpiling of cluster bombs. The convention also requires countries to provide victim assistance and clear contaminated areas. The convention has been joined by more than 120 countries, except for Russia, Ukraine and the United States.

Hiznay said Russian forces “definitely” used cluster bombs in Ukraine. He noted at least two instances, including a missile attack that hit an area outside a hospital in Vuhledar and another attack on the city of Kharkiv.

Russia on Monday launched a missile attack in the western city of Lviv, killing seven people. The attack followed a shelling in the eastern Donetsk region where four people were killed. It is unclear whether cluster bombs were used in the attack.