Russian Attack with Potential Use of Cluster Munitions Leaves 17 Dead in Ukraine, Human Rights Watch Reports
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On August 5, as reported by the organization Human Rights Watch, the potential launching of cluster munitions by Russia over Kyiv, Ukraine, was recorded. The attack struck the Nova Poshta sorting center, the country’s largest private postal and delivery service, leaving three people dead. The missile and drone offensive was not restricted to the capital, but also spread to the surrounding area, resulting in a total of seventeen fatalities, in addition to dozens of people injured.
Although there is still no certainty regarding the use of cluster munitions in this specific incident, the Russian offensive echoes what has been taking place since the beginning of the conflict, in February 2022, marked by serious violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), such as the use of armed drones and even the denunciation of treaties, as occurred with Ukraine in June 2025, when it requested the denunciation of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines and, subsequently, its suspension. Regarding the use of cluster munitions, as early as February 24, 2022, the first indication of the use of these weapons by Russia was recorded, giving rise to subsequent episodes involving their use. Against this backdrop, the International Criminal Court (ICC) initiated its investigations.
However, the systematic use of these weapons continued by the Russian armed forces, which led to the transfer of cluster munitions by the US government to Ukraine in July 2023, with the aim of supporting a counteroffensive by the country. This context makes explicit the problem surrounding the use of these weapons which, rather than promoting security, creates a scenario of progressive violations of IHL and Human Rights, placing civilian populations in both countries at risk and weakening the existing safeguards intended to prevent the occurrence of war crimes.
It is in light of this nature, and of the mobilization of global civil society against these weapons and their indiscriminate character, that the Convention on Cluster Munitions was adopted in 2008, which in 2026 marks its 18th anniversary, prohibiting the use, transfer, production, and stockpiling of these weapons. Currently, 111 countries are States Parties to the Convention and 12 are signatories. Among them are not the United States, Ukraine, Russia, or, notably, Brazil. Thus, it becomes clear how the commitment to abolish these weapons is still neglected, both by cases such as the recent use reported by Human Rights Watch and by countries that continue to participate in their production and transfer, as is the case with Brazil.
That being said, the reported cluster munition attacks therefore reveal the fragility of the argument of “reserving the right to produce the weapon.” While these weapons are employed in civilian territories under the justification of promoting security or contributing to the resolution of the conflict, reality has shown since 2022 that the intensification of these attacks only increases insecurity and reduces the prospects for ending the conflict. Furthermore, a scenario is created in which security and the protection of human and civilian dignity are deprived of their central role, as they are increasingly and violently affected by each attack.
As pointed out, the reported attacks affect populated areas, as was the case with the latest offensive, on August 5, which took place one kilometer from a hospital and less than 500 meters from a residential complex and schools. From the perspective of IHL, beyond the violation of the principle of distinction, when cluster munitions are employed in conflicts, other principles may also be violated. These are the principle of precaution — which seeks to protect areas that meet civilian needs, whether residential areas, energy supply and water treatment facilities, hospitals, etc. — and the principle of proportionality — which prohibits attacks when the incidental harm to civilians is excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.
Accordingly, the use of cluster munitions as a method of warfare during the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, particularly by the Russian state, repeatedly violates these principles. According to a statement by the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, by 2025, at least 5,974 cases of the use of these weapons by Russia had already been recorded, particularly affecting the civilian population and its infrastructure.
Within the broader context of the humanitarian impacts resulting from the war, according to the United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, the number of civilian casualties recorded in the first half of 2026 was 37% higher than in the same period of 2025 and 114% higher than in 2024. Furthermore, in the same statement, Ukraine calls for a categorical retaliation against Russia by other states, requesting the imposition of economic sanctions on the government. Despite this, the aforementioned relationship between the United States and Ukraine cannot be ignored, as, in response to Russian attacks, they also began using cluster munitions in the conflict.
It is also worth highlighting the denunciation made by the US representative at the UN regarding Russia’s use of cluster munitions at the very beginning of the conflict, in 2022. However, despite that denunciation, a year and a half later, the country transferred these weapons to Ukraine.
In light of the foregoing, it should be emphasized that any and all use, encouragement of the use, production, and transfer of cluster munitions by Russia, Ukraine, and the countries involved in the conflict through the weapons’ production and transfer chain must likewise be condemned, due to the recognized threat to Human Rights posed by such weapons.
Thus, adherence to the Convention on Cluster Munitions and a definitive commitment to prohibiting violations of International Humanitarian Law caused by these weapons are becoming increasingly urgent. In this regard, the ideal time for such violations to be permanently confronted and eradicated from global reality is now. From September 13 to 18, the 3rd Review Conference of the Convention on Cluster Munitions will take place in Laos — a country deeply affected by these weapons.
In view of this, it is time to recalculate the course of the horrors that have been committed through the use of cluster munitions in armed conflicts, such as the one between Russia and Ukraine. The Review Conference therefore emerges as a space to assess how the Convention has been implemented and how new avenues of action to combat these weapons may emerge and are being developed. It is in this context that the mobilization and presence of civil society are indispensable and more necessary than ever in building a world without cluster munitions, pressuring states to join the Convention and to act effectively to prevent the humanitarian impacts caused by these weapons.
Written by: Valkiria Irineu, Communications Assistant
Reviewed by: Fernando Fiala, Content Editor
27/08/2026 BRT
The views expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the institutional position of Dhesarme.
References
ALMEIDA NETO, Getúlio Alves de. The use of cluster bombs in the war in Ukraine: analysis of the morality and legitimization process of US provision to Kyiv. Conjuntura Austral, Porto Alegre, v. [volume], n. [number], p. [pages], [year]. Available at: https://seer.ufrgs.br/index.php/ConjunturaAustral/article/view/143442/95234. Accessed: Aug. 27, 2026.
BERTRAND, Natasha; LIEBERMANN, Oren; MARQUARDT, Alex. Ukraine has begun using cluster munitions sent by the US, according to US officials. CNN Brasil, July 20, 2023. Available at: https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/internacional/ucrania-comecou-a-usar-municoes-cluster-enviadas-pelos-eua-segundo-autoridades-americanas/. Accessed: Aug. 27, 2026.
CHEETHAM, Josh; DEVLIN, Kayleen; GOODMAN, Jack; KORENYUK, Maria. Anatomy of an attack: Is Russia using cluster bombs in Ukraine? BBC News, Mar. 3, 2022. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/60591017. Accessed: Aug. 27, 2026.
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH. Russia: cluster munition attack on Kyiv a potential war crime. Human Rights Watch, Aug. 13, 2026. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/08/13/russia-cluster-munition-attack-on-kyiv-a-potential-war-crime. Accessed: Aug. 27, 2026.
UKRAINE. Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the systematic use of cluster munitions by the Russian Federation during its aggression against Ukraine. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, [n.d.]. Available at: https://mfa.gov.ua/pt/news/zayava-mzs-shchodo-sistematichnogo-zastosuvannya-rf-kasetnih-boyepripasiv-u-hodi-agresiyi-proti-ukrayini. Accessed: Aug. 27, 2026.
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