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Military operation in Ukraine

Russian diplomat posts video of former White House spokeswoman criticizing cluster bombs

The video shows Jen Psaki hitting out at cluster bombs on February 28, 2022

MOSCOW, July 8. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Friday posted to social media a video of former White House press secretary Jen Psaki saying the use of cluster munitions is a war crime.

Zakharova brought up the issue in connection with the US move to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine. The video posted to Telegram shows Psaki hitting out at cluster bombs on February 28, 2022.

"A year and a half later, Jake Sullivan, a national security advisor to US President [Joe] Biden told a news conference at the White House about plans to give Ukraine cluster munitions. Waiting for an appearance by Biden’s press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre," Zakharova said on Telegram.

US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said on Friday that Washington is giving Ukraine a new $800 million military aid package, including cluster munitions.

Farhan Haq, a deputy spokesperson for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, earlier said that the UN chief supports the Convention on Cluster Munitions and opposes the use of this type of weapons on the battlefield.

Cluster munitions

Cluster bombs can contain hundreds of submunitions. When the bomb is detonated in the air, the submunitions are scattered over an area of tens of square meters. Some of them do not explode immediately and remain on the ground, posing a threat to civilians long after the conflict has ended. The Convention on Cluster Munitions, which was adopted in 2008, has been joined by 111 countries, and another 12 have signed but not yet ratified it.

According to the international human rights organization Human Rights Watch, the proportion of unexploded submunitions is usually significantly higher than stated.

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Foreign policy Ukraine United States Maria Zakharova Military operation in Ukraine

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Russian forces push Ukrainian troops 10 km away from Lisichansk in LPR — expert

Russian troops have taken new lines and positions northwest of Zolotaryoka as a result of successful operations

China holds US responsible for disrupted defense ministers' meeting in Laos

Wu Qian stated that the United States must immediately correct its mistakes, "honestly respect China’s main interests, and seek to create favorable conditions for high-level contacts between the military of the two countries"

Russian troops raise flag in central Kurakhovo in Donetsk region — politician

Russian army units have advanced much farther into the city’s northern part, in particular, along the southern bank of the Kurakhovo reservoir, Vladimir Rogov specified

West’s decision on missile strikes gives Russia free hand to attack NATO bases — expert

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Pentagon sees possibility of sending more antipersonnel landmines to Ukraine

Department of Defense Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh gave no direct answer to the question of how Washington was planning to control Kiev’s use of US landmines

Ex-German chancellor never expected Russia to tolerate Ukraine’s NATO membership — memoir

Angela Merkel added that another fallacy was the belief that the status "would act as a deterrent," and that Moscow "would accept these developments without taking action"

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FACTBOX: What is known about UAV attacks on Russian regions

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IN BRIEF: What Putin said about Russia’s new missile, and Moscow’s response to the West

Moscow used its new Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile in response to the West’s decision to authorize strategic-depth strikes on Russia

Xi Jinping calls for unification of more voices for peace in Ukraine

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Zelensky begs ‘for his country to be flattened’ — US journalist

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US missile defense base in Poland long among Russian army’s targets — Foreign Ministry

Maria Zakharova stated that the US-NATO construction project, ongoing for nearly a decade with complete disregard to Russian security concerns, has consistently been a focus of Russia's attention