Ukraine deploys cluster bombs in Tokmak after the US approved more supplies

US announces it will supply Ukraine with cluster munitions

On July 7 the US Department of Defense announced it would provide needed cluster bombs to Ukraine as a part of an 800M aid package shipment.

dover afb conducts ukraine security assistance mission — Team Dover Airmen load weapons cargo bound for Ukraine onto a C-17 Globemaster III during a security assistance mission at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, Aug. 19, 2022. The Department of Defense is providing Ukraine with critical capabilities to defend against Russian aggression under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Cydney Lee)

Ukraine deploys cluster bombs within 5 days

By July 17, there were several Telegram and Youtube news sources reporting that the Ukrainian army used HIMARS to bomb a forward Russian position in Tokmak. When Russian soldiers responded to clean up the damage, Ukrainian cluster munitions hit them. It’s unclear how many casualties this caused, but it comes less than 24 hours after the Russian defense ministry said it would escalate.

Russia takes notice

Now the Russian defense ministry says they are investigating the “shelling” of Tokmak, and if they “find cluster munitions were used, would have to respond with similar weapons”.

We don’t know if these cluster bombs were from the US (it seems unlikely), but what does seem likely is the promise of new bombs has allowed the Ukrainian military to use some of their current supply. Russia has said it will now have to escalate in response to the use of cluster bombs, but it is unclear how it intended to.