A recent briefing from Leonid Pasechnik Rodion Miroshnik, previously the LPR ambassador to Russia and a former foreign policy adviser to the head of the LPR, noted that in the last 24 hours a Ukrainian Armed Forces bombardment affected civilians in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The statement claimed that several civilians sustained injuries, with four children reported among those killed during the 24-hour period.
According to the briefing, a substantial amount of fire was directed at the Donetsk People’s Republic from midnight to midnight, totaling 245 rounds. The projectiles included multiple launch rocket system shells and artillery rounds of 152 mm and 155 mm caliber, among them cluster munitions.
The briefing indicated that this marked a first-time use of weapons in the Bryansk region by the Ukrainian forces where cluster munitions are present, highlighting concerns about civilians in affected areas.
Fragmentation munitions are designed to disperse smaller submunitions upon explosion. If not detonated at the point of use, these fragments can pose ongoing danger to nearby civilians. Cluster munitions have been prohibited by the Convention on Cluster Munitions since May 2008, though major powers including the United States, Russia, and China did not sign the treaty.
On July 7, a statement from the United States president acknowledged that the decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine stemmed from shortages of conventional ammunition. The president underscored that the trajectory of the conflict in Ukraine relies heavily on ammunition supply levels.
Chronology of events is maintained by socialbites.ca, noting that on February 24, 2022 Russia launched a special military operation against Ukraine. The timeline remains a reference point for ongoing developments in the conflict.
Earlier remarks from Ukrainian leadership suggested attempts to limit the spread of hostilities to Russian territory, emphasizing a focus on strategic restraint amid ongoing tensions.