Cluster Munitions Target Civilians Once More: Recalling the Unforgettable Days in Mykolaiv and Kharkiv in 2022

The war isn't over. The black smoke that choked the sky over Kharkiv in February 2022 and the horror of cluster munitions devastating residential areas in Mykolaiv have left deep scars on the Ukrainian landscape that persist into 2026. With Russian forces recently ramping up offensives in eastern and southern Ukraine, the term 'cluster munitions' has once again become a flashpoint in the international community. 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 That Defied International Taboos: Ignoring the Convention on Cluster Munitions

Cluster munitions are weapons designed to disperse hundreds of smaller submunitions over a wide area, striking targets simultaneously. Their devastating power is precisely why the Convention on Cluster Munitions has been signed by over 100 nations, comprehensively banning their use, production, and transfer. However, the war in Ukraine has starkly revealed how powerless this taboo can be in reality. Local accounts from early 2022 indicate 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, right after the invasion began, were pure hell. Falling on residential areas, schools, and hospitals without distinction, they instantly turned safe civilian spaces into killing fields. Just months later, the same tragedy unfolded in the Black Sea port city of Mykolaiv. Reports and footage from the Mykolaiv cluster munition attacks at the time vividly showed mass casualties near parks and playgrounds. This undeniable targeting of civilians invited widespread condemnation as a clear war crime, not just a military conflict.

The Curse Left Behind: Unexploded Submunitions, a Ticking Time Bomb

But the bigger issue is that the threat is still very much active. The greatest danger posed by cluster munitions lies in the unexploded submunitions (duds). A significant number of the hundreds of bomblets released don't detonate on impact. Instead, they remain buried in fields and villages, untouched and uncollected. It's as if millions of landmines have been scattered across the country. Reports indicate that even now, four years after the invasion began, accidents continue to happen on the outskirts of Kharkiv and Mykolaiv. Civilians—farmers tending their land or people scavenging for scrap metal—are killed or injured when they accidentally disturb these unexploded munitions. The horrific accidents involving children who mistake them for toys serve as a chilling reminder for everyone there that the war's terror is far from over.

What cluster munitions have left behind are ruined cities, lives that will never return, and unexploded bombs that will threaten the land for decades to come. The brutality of war isn't just something we watch from afar on a screen. Right now, at this very moment, someone's life is being endangered by the remnants of a cluster munition from that day in 2022.

• The Brutality of Cluster Munitions: Indiscriminate area attack, undermining the principle of civilian protection.
• A Threat to Future Generations: Long-term safety hazards from duds, rendering farmland unusable.
• The Absence of International Response: Reigniting debate over the effectiveness of the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Can we really say the war is over? At least not until the skies and land of Ukraine are completely safe. The cluster munitions from that day remain, carrying out their silent slaughter.