Cluster Munitions: Another Assault on Civilians - Recalling the Unforgettable Days in Mykolaiv and Kharkiv in 2022

The war is not over. The black smoke that blanketed the sky over Kharkiv in February 2022 and the horrific impact of cluster munitions on residential areas in Mykolaiv remain deep, unhealed wounds on Ukrainian soil here in 2026. With recent intensified offensives by Russian forces in eastern and southern Ukraine, the term 'cluster munitions' has once again become a red-hot issue on the international stage. But what we must remember isn't just the name of a weapon, but the tragic stories of the civilians it has affected.

A Tragedy Ignoring the International Taboo: The Convention on Cluster Munitions

Cluster munitions are weapons designed to disperse hundreds of smaller submunitions over a wide area, striking multiple targets simultaneously. Their devastating power led more than 100 nations to sign the Convention on Cluster Munitions, completely banning their use, production, and transfer. However, the war in Ukraine has starkly demonstrated how fragile such a taboo can be in reality. Local reports from early 2022 indicated that Russian forces rained down cluster munitions indiscriminately on key Ukrainian cities, including Kharkiv and Mykolaiv.

The Cries of Kharkiv and Mykolaiv in February 2022

The cluster munition attacks on Kharkiv in February 2022, shortly after the invasion began, were nothing short of a living hell. Striking residential buildings, schools, and hospitals without distinction, they instantly turned safe civilian spaces into scenes of slaughter. Just months later, the same tragedy unfolded in the Black Sea port city of Mykolaiv. Footage from the cluster munition attacks on Mykolaiv at the time vividly showed mass casualties near parks and playgrounds. This left no room for doubt, drawing widespread condemnation as a clear war crime targeting civilians, not merely a military engagement.

A Curse Left in the Earth: The Ticking Time Bomb of Unexploded Ordnance

However, the larger problem is ongoing. The most significant threat from cluster munitions lies with the unexploded ordnance (UXO) they leave behind. A significant percentage of the submunitions fail to detonate on impact and remain buried in fields and villages, uncleared. It's as if millions of landmines have been scattered across the country. Reports indicate that even now, four years after the start of the war, accidents continue to occur on the outskirts of Kharkiv and Mykolaiv. Civilians, whether farming or collecting scrap metal, are killed or maimed when they disturb these dud submunitions. The horrific accidents involving children, mistaking them for toys, serve as a constant, chilling reminder to everyone in the region that the war's terror is far from over.

All that cluster munitions have left behind are ruined cities, lives lost forever, and unexploded bombs that will threaten the land for decades to come. The horror of war is not a distant story on a screen. Right now, at this very moment, lives are still being threatened by the remnants of cluster munitions from those fateful days in 2022.

• The Brutality of Cluster Munitions: Indiscriminate area denial, violating the principle of civilian protection.
• A Threat to Future Generations: Long-term safety risks from UXO, rendering agricultural land unusable.
• A Lack of International Response: Reigniting the debate over the effectiveness of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Can we truly say the war is over? For the people of Ukraine, the day when their skies and lands are completely safe has not yet arrived. The cluster munitions from that time remain embedded in the earth, continuing their silent slaughter.