Vladimir Putin has threatened to unleash his arsenal of cluster bombs on Ukraine in retaliation for any try by Kyiv to make use of the identical munitions towards Russian troops in its counteroffensive.

The White House introduced a brand new US$800 (£611m) million bundle of army assist for Ukraine within the first week of July.

The US has now spent a complete of US$23.5 billion (£17.9bn) on weapons for Kyiv's military, because it continues its makes an attempt to retake territory from the Russian occupiers.

Included on this newest assist bundle are cluster bombs, or dual-purpose improved typical munitions (DPICM) as they're euphemistically known as by the US army.

Cluster bombs work by scattering giant numbers of tiny bomblets over a large space, that are speculated to implode on impression.

They might be a key weapon in serving to Ukraine's military to dislodge Russian troops from their heavily-fortified defensive strains, however are extremely controversial.

Many of the bomblets can fail to blow up, presenting an enduring deadly hazard to civilians, notably youngsters, as soon as the preventing is over.

Human rights teams have described cluster munitions as "abhorrent" and even a battle crime.

The Russian President has reacted with fury to the US's choice to produce the munitions, which might be a recreation changer on the battlefield.

In a state TV interview, he warned: "Of course, if they are used against us, we reserve the right to take reciprocal action."

He added Russia had not but used the weapons regardless of a "certain shortage of munitions at some point".

However, Human Rights Watch has claimed the Russians have used cluster munitions since their invasion in February 2022. They stated the munitions had already inflicted lots of of civilian casualties and broken properties, hospitals and faculties.

The organisation additionally famous that the Ukrainian army had not denied utilizing the weapons as nicely.

Russian cluster munitions reportedly have a "dud rate" of 40 per cent, that means giant numbers stay a hazard on the bottom, whereas the typical dud charge is believed to be shut to twenty per cent.

The Pentagon estimates its personal cluster bomblets have a dud charge of lower than 3 per cent.

The US President, Joe Biden, stated he had wrestled with the choice for months, however had determined that Ukraine was in pressing want of the weapons as a result of fast depletion of its shares of typical artillery shells.

Mr Biden added that it was a short lived measure to permit Kyiv the time to ramp up the manufacturing of its personal artillery shells.

Military consultants consider the cluster bombs might be notably helpful in serving to Ukraine's military to clear the intensive minefields the Russians have laid.

They counsel that by utilizing cluster bombs to suppress enemy fireplace from the trenches, Ukrainian forces might acquire treasured time to assist them clear their method by way of mines.