Russia’s extensive use of cluster munitions in Ukraine last year led to the highest number of casualties from these widely banned weapons in more than a decade, according to an annual report released on 5 September by the Cluster Munition Coalition, an international watchdog group that has for years sought to eradicate their use, The New York Times reports.
In 2022, the highest toll since 2010 was reported by the coalition, with over 1,100 individuals, predominantly civilians, suffering casualties from cluster munitions.
The vast majority of the casualties were concentrated in Ukraine, with the group reporting a minimum of 294 fatalities and 596 injuries resulting from recent cluster munition attacks. In stark contrast, the group’s 2021 global report only accounted for casualties coming from remnants of cluster munitions, as opposed to fresh attacks.
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