Cluster bombs killed or wounded 1,063 in 2025, monitor says

Cluster munitions killed or injured at least 1,063 people worldwide in 2025, most of them in Ukraine, the Cluster Munition Coalition said in its annual report on Tuesday.

The monitor said casualties from the weapons were recorded across nine countries, making 2025 one of the highest annual totals on record. Ukraine accounted for 927 casualties, or 87 percent of the total, while civilians also made up 87 percent of casualties worldwide.

The coalition said casualties were recorded in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Myanmar, Russia, Syria and Ukraine.

Cluster munitions can be dropped from aircraft or fired from artillery before exploding in the air and scattering bomblets over a wide area. Many do not explode on impact and can later act like landmines.

The report said Russia and Ukraine continued to use cluster munitions on the territory of both countries, Myanmar used them domestically, Iran used them in Israel and Thailand used them in its border conflict with Cambodia. It said cluster munitions were also used in Mali by unconfirmed actors.

None of the countries known to have used the weapons in 2025 are among the 112 states that are party to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans their use, transfer, production and storage. Countries are due to meet in Laos next week for a review conference on the treaty.