Russia has requested clarification from Washington and Ankara regarding reports of a potential plan to transfer U.S.-made munitions from Turkish stockpiles to Ukraine.
Key facts
- •Russia has requested an explanation from the U.S. and Turkey regarding a potential transfer of U.S.-made weapons to Ukraine.
- •The weapons in question include tens of thousands of artillery projectiles and cluster munitions rockets.
- •The munitions were produced under a 1987 U.S. license and have been stored in Turkey for decades.
- •Neither the U.S. nor Turkey has signed the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions.
- •Human Rights Watch estimates that 40% of cluster bomblets may fail to explode, creating a lasting danger to civilians.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated on Saturday that Russia has asked the United States and Turkey to explain reports of a potential arms transfer to Kyiv. The reported plan involves moving a substantial arsenal of U.S.-produced weapons and ammunition currently held in Turkey to Ukraine. Zakharova warned that such a transfer would cause serious harm to Russia's bilateral relations with both Washington and Ankara.
Details of the Reported Transfer
Turkey reportedly requested permission from the U.S. last week to transfer tens of thousands of artillery projectiles and cluster munitions rockets to Ukraine. These weapons have been stored in Turkey for decades and were originally produced under a 1987 license from the United States.
Cluster Munitions and International Conventions
Neither the United States nor Turkey is a signatory to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans the use, sale, and export of weapons that scatter explosive submunitions. Human Rights Watch has noted that approximately 40% of these bomblets may fail to explode, posing a long-term risk to civilians similar to anti-personnel landmines. While the U.S. maintained an annual moratorium on exporting cluster munitions from 2009 to 2023, President Joe Biden bypassed this rule in 2023 to authorize transfers to Ukraine.
Timeline
- 1987The munitions were produced under a license from the United States.
- 2008The Convention on Cluster Munitions was established to prohibit the use and export of certain explosive submunitions.
- 2009-2023The United States maintained an annual moratorium on the export of cluster munitions.
- 2023President Joe Biden bypassed the export moratorium to allow the transfer of cluster munitions to Ukraine.
- Last weekTurkey requested permission from Washington to send artillery projectiles and cluster munitions to Ukraine.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by The Moscow Times.
