Putin: We reserve the right to reciprocate if cluster munitions are used against us

Putin :

We reserve the right to :

reciprocate if cluster munitions are used against us

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that :

Washington's decision to supply Kiev with cluster munitions reflected a shortage of ordinary munitions and stressed that Russia reserved the right to reciprocate if used against it.

This came in Putin's response to journalist Pavel Zarobin's request for comment on the United States decision to provide Kiev with cluster munitions.

In a video released by Zarobin via the Telegram on Sunday

Putin said :

With regard to cluster munitions :

the United States Administration has given itself an assessment of

these munitions in the words of its staff recently, when it described the use of cluster munitions as a crime. I think that is the position to be adopted on the subject. "

Putin added that the United States delivery of

such ammunition to Ukraine was not evidence that

they were "comfortable"

but rather because of their general lack of ammunition.

The Russian President recalled that :

the Ukrainian military spends up to

5-6 thousand 155-caliber missiles a day

while the United States produces 15 thousand missiles a month

and added :

They don't have enough, and Europe doesn't have enough.

but they found no better choice than to move towards the use of cluster munitions .

Putin stressed that so far Russia has not used cluster munitions

and has not had a need to do so

"despite the known shortage of ammunition we also have at some point"

and added :

But of course, if they are used against us

we reserve the right to reciprocate

asserting that :

Russia possesses sufficient stockpiled cluster munitions of all kinds.

On Thursday, the Pentagon announced that Ukraine had received cluster munitions not only from the United States, but also from other States.

Zakharova:

Washington became a war criminal when it

decided to provide Kiev with cluster munitions

• Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that

• the United States had become a war criminal

• by deciding to provide the Kiev regime with cluster munitions.

Zakharova noted on Russia-1 television that :

cluster munitions were among the main themes of the Western media and political campaign, which denied their use and declared them a "war criminal".

Commenting on :

the White House's decision to :

provide Kiev with cluster munitions, the diplomat said:

"This was one of the core themes of

Anglo-Saxons and all their allies on international platforms.

When they again need to look into :

someone's internal affairs, impose penalties

or place someone on the ban list.

They have been doing this for several years now

it turns out that they are not just contradictory to themselves

they have officially become war criminals according to their adopted region. 

On July 7 :

President Joe Biden's administration announced a new military

aid package for Ukraine, including cluster munitions.

The United States National Security Adviser

Jake Salevan, said that the United States had decided to

transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine, which the United Nations opposed.

He also noted that Kiev had provided Washington with written assurances that it would reduce the risks to the civilian population when using such ammunition.

On Tuesday :

• Kyiv's forces bombed the town of Tokmac

• Zaporoje province, using these munitions

• in their first use since they obtained them.

For his part :

the Vice-President of the Russian Security Council :

Dmitry Medvedev, commented on the reports of cluster munition shelling:

Note :

Tokmak city is reported to have been bombed with cluster munitions. This means that it is time to uncover our arsenals from this inhumane weapon. "