MOSCOW, July 11. /TASS/. The supply of cluster munitions by the Americans to Kiev will prolong the conflict in Ukraine, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu told reporters on Tuesday.

"The whole world has already seen that they [the United States] have confirmed the transfer of cluster munitions. They justify this in different ways. They say that given the fact that conventional 155-caliber ammunition has actually run out, so now, until their production starts, they decided to cover it with these cluster munitions. This, of course, will affect the prolongation of the conflict," the minister said.

"Neither we, nor the Americans, nor Kiev have joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions. However, realizing the threat that such ammunition poses to the civilian population, Russia has refrained from using them in the special operation," Shoigu said.

"If the United States supplies cluster munitions to Ukraine, the Russian armed forces will be forced to use similar weapons against the Ukrainian armed forces as a response. It should be noted that Russia has cluster munitions in service, so to speak, for all occasions. At the same time, they much more effective than the American ones, their range is wider and more diverse," he stressed.

According to the minister, at present, the command of the Joint Group of Forces in the area of the special military operation is taking additional organizational and technical measures to protect personnel and equipment from striking elements of cluster munitions.