President Joe Biden's controversial decision to provide
Ukraine with cluster bombs was denounced by some
NATO allies on Saturday. Biden said on Friday that the
United States would send cluster munitions – bombs that open in midair and release submunitions – to Kyiv as part of its next $800 million weapons package to support Ukraine during its summer counteroffensive campaign against Russia.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles both said their countries would not support sending cluster munitions to Ukraine. While both Ukraine and
Russia have already used cluster munitions in the war, the Biden administration's decision to send cluster bombs sparked controversy due to the weapon's increased risk of causing civilian casualties. The use of cluster munitions on both sides has already caused civilian casualties. Ukrainian government officials, however, welcomed Biden's decision to provide the country with cluster bombs. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in a tweet on Friday that he was grateful for the "broad and much-needed defense aid package" from the U.S. government. "The expansion of Ukraine's defense capabilities will provide new tools for the de-occupation of our land and bringing peace closer," Zelenskyy added. Meanwhile, intense fighting continued Saturday as Ukrainians marked the 500th day since Russia invaded. Eight civilians were killed and over a dozen more were injured early Saturday by rockets that struck the town of Lyman, a few kilometers from the front line of fighting, officials said. Ukrainians have made significant gains in both the north and south of Bakhmut, an eastern town that was captured by Russians in May, the U.K. Ministry of Defense said in an update. “Russian defenders are highly likely struggling with poor morale, a mix of disparate units and a limited ability to find and strike Ukrainian artillery," the ministry said. Latest developments: Both
Russian and Ukrainian officials have accused each other of planning to sabotage the Russia-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. Ukraine's
MILITARY intelligence said Saturday that Russian forces have planted mines around the plant, while the head of the
United Nations nuclear agency did not confirm the presence of mines. On Saturday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was shown visiting firing ranges where volunteer soldiers are being trained, a trip that comes two weeks after an abortive mutiny launched by mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, whose Wagner troops marched on
Moscow in a bid to oust Shoigu. Zelenskyy attended a memorial ceremony for the victims of the war in Ukraine on Saturday at the Patriarchal Church of St. George in Istanbul, Turkey. VISUAL: Graphics examine cluster bombs, controversial weapons the US will send to Ukraine US didn't endorse convention banning cluster munitions More than 100 countries, including many NATO allies such as
Spain and the United Kingdom, signed the 2010 Convention on Cluster Munitions which placed an international ban on the use of the weapons. The United States, Ukraine and Russia, however, did not endorse the convention. Sunak told reporters on Saturday that while the
United Kingdom will continue to support Ukraine, it signed a convention that "prohibits the production or use of cluster munitions." "We will continue to do our part to support Ukraine against Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion, but we've done that by providing heavy battle tanks and most recently long-range weapons, and hopefully all countries can continue to support Ukraine," Sunak said. Robles, the Spanish defense minister, told Reuters on Saturday that the decision to provide Ukraine with cluster munitions was not a NATO decision and said Spain has a "firm commitment that certain weapons and bombs cannot be delivered under any circumstances." "No to cluster bombs and yes to the legitimate defense of Ukraine, which we understand should not be carried out with cluster bombs," Robles said. Zelenskyy marks 500th day of war Zelenskyy shared a video marking 500 days since Russia invaded Ukraine with a visit to Snake Island, honoring the soldiers who fought to defend the island and calling its reclaiming "great proof that Ukraine will regain every bit of its territory." “I want to thank — from here, from this place of victory — each of our soldiers for these 500 days,” Zelenskyy said. “Thank you to everyone who fights for Ukraine!” Russian forces overtook the island the day they launched their assault on Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, and it became a symbol of resistance for Ukrainians as they fought to reclaim it until Russians retreated in June 2022. Captured leaders of steel plant defense return to Ukraine Five commanders of the defense at the Azovstal steel plant who were captured early on in the war by Russian forces were on their way back to Ukraine, Zelenskyy said. A monthslong siege at the plant resulted in some 2,000 defenders leaving the the steelworks in mid-May 2022 and being taken into Russian custody. The five leaders, some of whom were part of the Azov national guard regiment that Russia denounces as neo-Nazi, were freed as part of a prisoner swap in September and taken to Turkey. They were supposed to remain in
Turkey until the end of the war, and Zelenskyy didn't say why they were returning to Ukraine. They were on a plane with Zelenskyy headed back to Ukraine from Turkey on Saturday, he said. Contributing: The Associated Press