- The Kremlin said it would be a "game-changer" if Ukraine starts using cluster bombs.
- Russia's defense minister warned that Moscow would be compelled to use similar weapons.
The Kremlin said Wednesday that it would be a "game-changer" in Russia's war with Ukraine if Kyiv used the highly lethal cluster bombs that the United States has promised to supply.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu warned that Moscow would be compelled to use similar weapons against Ukrainian forces even though Russia has been accused of using cluster munitions since the beginning of the war more than 500 days ago.
"Naturally, the potential use of this type of weapons is a game-changer and it will certainly force Russia to take specific steps in response," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Wednesday, according to the Russian state-owned TASS news agency.
Additionally, Shoigu claimed that Russia has so far resisted using cluster bombs against Ukrainian troops in the war because of their threat to civilians, TASS reported.
The Human Rights Watch said last year that Russia was actively using cluster bombs in Ukraine, resulting in the killing and maiming of hundreds of civilians.
The advocacy group has also accused Ukraine of using cluster munitions since the beginning of the war but to a much lesser extent.
More than 100 countries have banned the artillery-laid bombs, including dozens of NATO allies to the US.
Last week, the US announced that it has finally agreed to send Ukraine's military cluster munitions to use in its counteroffensive against Russia — a move that has been marred with controversy.