According to the Foreign Ministry, cluster munitions, due to their widespread effect as a weapon, call into question the basic principle of international law prohibiting attacks on civilians and distinguishing between civilians and soldiers. Unexploded munitions also remain in the ground, often posing a threat to civilians years following a conflict has ended.
The bombs have been banned internationally since 2010. About a hundred countries joined the convention, but neither Russia nor Ukraine. Although Russia is not a State Party, attacks with cluster munitions are also prohibited by generally applicable international law.
