Vladimir Putin has said Russia has a “sufficient stockpile” of cluster bombs and could use them if such munitions are used against his forces in Ukraine.
Ukraine has received cluster bombs from the United States, munitions banned in more than 100 countries, but has pledged to only use them to dislodge concentrations of Russian soldiers in the war-torn country.
In a state TV interview, excerpts of which were published on Sunday, Mr Putin said Moscow will strike back with a “reciprocal” response if necessary.
He said: “Of course, if they (cluster bombs) are used against us, we reserve the right to take reciprocal action.”
He added Russia had not yet used the weapons despite a “certain shortage of munitions at some point.”
NGO Human Rights Watch claims both Moscow and Kyiv have used cluster munitions throughout the war.
Russia, Ukraine and the US have not signed up to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans the production, stockpiling, use and transfer of the weapons.
Mr Putin also told state TV he saw nothing wrong in Russian specialists examining captured Western military equipment and missiles, such as the Storm Shadow missiles Britain supplied to Ukraine, in order to see if there was anything useful that could be used in Russia’s own military hardware.
