Russia would use cluster bombs if US supplies them to Ukraine: Shoigu
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The Russian Defense Minister says the Ukrainian military has not reached the goal of the counteroffensive in any of the directions.
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Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (TASS)
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu confirmed on Tuesday that Ukraine's losses since the beginning of the counteroffensive amounted to more than 26,000 troops and 3,000 units of various weapons.
Shoigu detailed that since the beginning of Ukraine's counteroffensive, Russia has destroyed 21 Ukrainian aircraft, five helicopters, some 1,244 tanks, and another 1,244 Ukrainian armored vehicles, including 17 Leopard tanks, five French AMX wheeled tanks, 914 units of special vehicles, two air defense systems, and 25 MLRS vehicles.
Additionally, Russian air defense systems shot down 176 HIMARS shells, 27 Storm Shadow missiles, and 483 drones since June 4, and destroyed 43 M777 howitzers and 46 self-propelled guns from Poland, the US, and France, he noted.
The Russian Minister considered that the Ukrainian military has not reached the goal of the counteroffensive in any of the directions.
Shoigu said Kiev continues to unsuccessfully try to break through the defense of the Russian military in different directions, adding that several waves of attacks have been launched in two days.
The Russian Defense Minister revealed that the intelligence services of the United States and other NATO countries carefully monitor and analyze the results of the combat work of the Russian military.
He indicated that Western intelligence agencies note the high efficiency of the defense of the Russian armed forces, minefields, and preemptive airstrikes, as well as the highest resilience of the Russian military and the prompt response measures of commanders.
In a related context, Shoigu confirmed that the Russian armed forces have conducted a counterattack in the Krasnyi Lyman direction and advanced 1.5 kilometers (0.6 miles) deep and 2 kilometers along the front line over the past two days.
"In the Krasnyi Lyman direction, the assault detachments... repelled the offensive of a motorized infantry company of the Ukrainian military in the area of the settlement of Karmazynivka. Having inflicted a fire defeat on them, the Russian units launched a counterattack, advancing 1.5 kilometers deep and 2 kilometers along the front line," he told a briefing.
Russia will be forced to use cluster munitions if US supplies them to Ukraine
Touching on the US decision to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, the Russian Minister said if the US supplies cluster munitions to Kiev, the Russian military will be forced to use the same means, which it has plenty of in stock, against the Ukrainian armed forces as a response measure.
"If the US supplies cluster munitions to Ukraine, the Russian armed forces will be forced to use similar means of destruction against the Ukrainian armed forces as a retaliatory measure," Shoigu said, affirming that Russia is armed with cluster munitions "for all occasions."
The #UnitedStates has confirmed its compliance with a #Ukrainian request to provide the country with cluster munitions, a decision slapped by a backlash and criticism from human rights organizations due to the weapon being prohibited by over 100 countries. pic.twitter.com/MXl4tX2xJZ
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 10, 2023
He also made it clear that Russia has always understood the threat posed by cluster munitions to civilians and has refrained and still refrains from using them in its special military operation, adding that the transfer of US arms to Kiev will only lead to a prolongation of the conflict.
Elsewhere, Shoigu noted that the production of ammunition in Russia doubled in 2022 and increased more than 10 times in 2023.
"In 2023, due to the expansion of production capacities... in 2023 we have increased the number of ammunition produced by our industry by more than 10 times compared to the beginning of last year," he said.
He added that the number of weapons and equipment purchased under the state defense order has increased by 1.8 times since March 2022, and by more than five times in 2023.
Read more: A Grim Reaper that will outlast the Ukraine war: Cluster munitions
