Russian President Vladimir Putin said an interview on Sunday that Moscow has a “sufficient stockpile” of cluster munitions, and warned that Russia “reserves the right to take reciprocal action” if Ukraine uses the controversial weapons, The Associated Press reported.
The comments mark the first time that Putin has responded to the US announcement that it will send cluster munitions to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package.
Putin said that Russia hasn’t used cluster bombs in the war with Ukraine so far, claiming, “Until now, we have not done this, we have not used it, and we have not had such a need.”
Human rights groups and Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States accused Russia last year of attacking Ukrainians with cluster bombs and vacuum bombs.
The interview with Putin came days after the Pentagon that cluster munitions provided by the United States had arrived in Ukraine.
The munitions, which are bombs that open in the air and release scores of smaller bomblets, are seen by the US as a way to get Kyiv critically needed ammunition to help bolster its offensive and push through Russian front lines.
Cluster munitions scatter “bomblets” across large areas that can fail to explode on impact and can pose a long-term risk to anyone who encounters them, similar to landmines.
Over 100 countries, including the UK, France, and Germany, have outlawed the munitions under the Convention on Cluster Munitions, but the US and Ukraine are not signatories to the ban.
The US has increased its assistance to Ukraine in recent months. In May, Biden informed G7 leaders that the US will support a joint effort with allies and partners to train Ukrainian pilots on fourth generation aircraft, including F-16s.
In January, Biden officially announced that the US will send 31 M1 Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine, reversing months of persistent arguments that the tanks were too difficult for Ukrainian troops to operate and maintain.