Turkey Is Sending Cold War-Era Cluster Bombs to Ukraine

The NATO ally began sending the first batches of so-called dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICMs) in November 2022, which were made during the Cold War era under a co-production agreement with the United States. The weapons are designed to destroy tanks by bursting into smaller submunitions, which can linger on the battlefield for years if they do not immediately explode. Each round scatters about 88 bomblets. The United States is barred from exporting DPICMs under U.S. law because of its high dud rate.

The move, which Turkey has sought to keep quiet for months, also highlights the high-wire act that Ankara has played throughout the conflict: supporting Ukraine with armed Bayraktar TB2 drones that helped break Russia’s advance on Kyiv and playing diplomatic middleman for the United Nations-brokered deal to export grain from the Ukrainian port of Odesa, all while purchasing Russian weapons for itself and angering NATO in the process. It was not immediately clear if the Turkish surface-to-surface weapons had been used in combat.

“After the U.S. denied [Ukraine] access to cluster munitions, Turkey was the only place they could get them,” said one source briefed on the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “It just shows how even as Turkey cozies up to Russia in some respects, it’s become a really important supporter for Ukraine militarily.”

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  1. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    >The weapons are designed to destroy tanks by bursting into smaller submunitions, which can linger on the battlefield for years if they do not immediately explode.
    Won't that create a problem later down the line?

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Ukraine already has enough problems, think of the thousands of landmines and unexploded artillery shells that Russia is leaving behind

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >Blyaaatt, we won but now we have all this UXO.

      Good problems to have.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Sure, but the bigger problem are ziggers

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      they don't give a frick considering russia has been liberally using cluster munitions the entire time and neither side ever signed onto that pozzed ban

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >Won't that create a problem later down the line?
      just make sure all the problems are on Russian side of the border

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >Won't that create a problem later down the line?
      They can use the russian war prisoners to remove those mines afterward

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      Yes, but after the Kharkiv offensive it became clear that even though they're demining vast areas of land per day after Russians leave, it would still take years to demine the whole oblast.
      Driving the Russians out is the priority and those areas will have to be demined and cleared anyway so the cost-benefit analysis is tipping towards frick the ziggers up.

  2. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    This war has forced me to completely reassess my stance towards Turks.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      >bayraktars are probably all shot down already
      feels_bad_man.jpg

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        There was Bayraktar reconnaissance videos in Kherson before the withdrawal.
        I think Turks told them to not post for sake of grain deal.

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      I mean they are still two faced. But two faced to everyone so I guess its a wash.

  3. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    god damn those fricking roaches are really doing their best to make me like them during this war, god bless their hearts

  4. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    This is non news. Cluster bombs are banned due to unintended collateral damage. Which in Ukraine would still be nothing compared to Russia's insistance on launching cruise missiles at apartment buildings and retail locations instead of military targets. Nevermind their mining of civilian evacuation corridors.

  5. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    every alliance needs a dodgy member to bring in the borderline warcrimes

  6. 1 year ago
    Anonymous

    tell me about the turks, why do they want to exterminate russians?

    • 1 year ago
      Anonymous

      They don't because Putin is useful for them.

      They do because of history, dicklet waving, conflicts of interest (Syrian war) and both having jingoistic dumb populations.

      • 1 year ago
        Anonymous

        cope armenian turd

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