Ukraine could use Canadian cannons to fire banned cluster bombs, worry experts
Donated weapons are compatible with the U.S.-supplied shells
Cannons donated by Canada to the Ukrainian military could be used to launch newly acquired cluster bombs. This would run afoul of Canada’s commitment to uphold the global ban on these controversial weapons, according to experts.
The U.S. has confirmed that cluster bombs delivered to Ukraine have been used in combat. National Security Spokesman John Kirby said initial feedback suggested they were being used "effectively" on Russian defensive positions and operations, the BBC reported Thursday.
Canada has contributed four U.S.-built M777 howitzers to Ukraine which are capable of firing cluster bombs and other types of shells, but it's not confirmed which cannons have been used by Ukrainian forces to fire cluster bombs.
As a signatory and member of the United Nations Convention on Cluster Munitions, Canada needs to make certain that Ukraine does not use Canada’s M777s with cluster bombs or munitions, says an expert on the treaty.
“Canada is obliged to take all measures necessary to ensure that Canadian equipment is not used to deliver cluster munitions,” said Earl Turcotte in an email. Turcotte led the Canadian delegation throughout negotiation of the Convention on Cluster Munitions. The ban was joined by over 100 countries, with the notable exception of the United States, Russia and Ukraine.
“Canada, as a State Party, must be held to the standards established in the Convention -- nothing less,” said Turcotte. “This includes disallowing assisting in the use, etc. of cluster munitions.”
The Prime Minister has spoken out against the use of cluster bombs by Ukraine and the Biden Administration’s decision to deliver potentially hundreds of thousands of shells from U.S. stockpiles. Canada was joined by the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and New Zealand in raising concerns.
The Kyiv Post says that currently, the U.S. has only agreed to provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with a single type of cluster bomb; the 155mm artillery shells. These shells can be fired from several types of NATO-standard howitzers, such as the U.S.-made M777 howitzer donated by the Canadian military.
Canada’s contribution is a tiny percentage of the approximately 152 M777s howitzers donated to Ukraine, all of them from the United State except for six from Australia and the four from Canada. Some reports say that a third may have already been damaged or destroyed.
Earl Turcotte says that the Canadian military needs to put caveats in place over the use of the M777 howitzers to ensure they are not used to launch cluster bombs.
(Cover: Members of the Canadian Armed Forces deployed to the enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group practice their skills with the M777 howitzer as part of Operation REASSURANCE at Camp Adazi, Latvia, January 5, 2023. Photo: Corporal Darren McDonald Imagery Technician, TFL HQ. Via National Defence).