Explosions from delayed cluster munitions occur in Kyiv post-Russian drone assault, a female resident sustains injuries, as confirmed by Klitschko.
In an unexpected turn of events, a forest park area in Kyiv saw a series of explosions on May 1, following an overnight drone attack from Russia. Vitali Klitschko, Kyiv's Mayor, reported one woman sustained injuries due to the incident.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, detailed approximately 10 explosions near the park. An additional blast also damaged a residential building's roof. Provisionally, Tkachenko suspects these detonations stemmed from cluster munitions dropped by Russian drones, though official confirmation will be forthcoming after expert examinations. The explosions appeared to have a delay in detonation.
First responders, including sappers, emergency personnel, and medical teams, are diligently working at the site. Police units are securing the area to keep civilians at bay. Last month, Ukraine's State Emergency Service issued a warning about Russian drones dropping explosive objects, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of such munitions' explosion times.
The Russian drone attack on Ukraine in question saw over 170 drones launched, including Iranian-designed Shahed-type drones. Out of this number, Ukrainian defenses intercepted 74 drones, while 68 vanished from radar, possible decoys to overload air defense systems.
Cluster munitions, known for scattering multiple submunitions across broad areas, pose significant risks to civilians, both during and after attacks. These weapons can constitute a war crime under international humanitarian law when used in populated zones.
Although Russia is not a signatory to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), it bans all use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster munitions, including delayed submunitions, for states parties. Despite this, Russia continues to employ cluster munitions, as with its actions in Ukraine, raising concerns regarding respect for humanitarian law norms.
- Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, added that the series of explosions in a Kyiv forest park on May 1 might have been caused by cluster munitions, suspecting they were dropped by Russian drones.
- General-news outlets reported that Tkachenko warned of the risks associated with cluster munitions, specifically their potential to scatter multiple submunitions over wide areas, posing significant dangers to civilians during and after attacks.
- Crime-and-justice analysts condemned the use of cluster munitions, as they could constitute a war crime under international humanitarian law when deployed in populated zones, and expressed concern over Russia's disregard for humanitarian law norms.
- Investigators warned the public to remain vigilant in war-and-conflicts zones, especially amidst increasing reports of Russian drones dropping explosive objects, highlighting the unpredictable nature of these weapons' explosion times.
