Civilians are the main victims of cluster munitions
Cluster munitions are forbidden by the 2008 Oslo Treaty. But they are regularly used in Ukraine, mainly in populated areas. Volodymyr is one among hundred victims.
Mr. Volodymyr pictured in the yard of his home near the village of Zarazhne in Kharkiv Oblast. In February 2022 he was injured in a cluster munition strike on Kharkiv city and now has no feeling below his left thigh as a result of nerve damage. The strike, he says, was the first instance of cluster munitions in the war. When you are injured from cluster munitions he says, there is no end. He is a beneficiary of HI with cash assistance. | © C. Wright / ICBL-CMC / HI
Mr. Volodymyr, 59, was a lawyer. On Feb 28, 2022, he was living in Kharkivska. On that day, he left his home to buy milk for his 1.5-year-old granddaughter, who lived 200m away. It was 10 am. He left the building from exit 2 and headed towards exit 1. Shelling began as Russians were at a nearby settlement but not in the immediate area he was in.
Thrown away by a bombing
“I remember hearing the first shell hit a tree 6m away from me. Then I was thrown by a shockwave underneath a nearby first floor balcony.”
Explosions lasted 15 minutes. He says it was the first documented case of cluster munitions use in the war. Nine people were killed in the strike and a man standing just 1.5m away from him was also killed.
Reflecting on why this area was targeted, he does not see any specific reason for Russia to have attacked this area. There was a streetcar depot nearby, but no military assets or personnel.
“After the attack I crawled towards the entrance to reach my family. I was very afraid for my family and my 1.5-year-old granddaughter. I was covered in blood. My younger son helped me into the bathroom. It was hard to stand or walk. I laid down on the floor of the living room as my family called the ambulance.”
Between 5 and 7 minutes later, the ambulance arrived. He did not want to go to the hospital and be admitted, but the Dr from the ambulance told him “Your injuries are severe, you need to come with us”. Given the situation, he did not want to leave his family and home.
Removing shrapnel without anaesthesia
At the hospital approximately 14-15 pieces of shrapnel were removed from his body during surgery without anaesthesia. “It was agony. I’m not sure why they didn’t use anaesthesia. Maybe because they didn’t have it or didn’t have enough”. There is still one piece of shrapnel in his neck 2mm from his spine.
He had three holes in his chest, one in his leg, his ear was partially torn off and he had holes in both legs. Luckily none of the shrapnel hit any bones or organs. Because of complications from the shrapnel, he suffered nerve damage and has no feeling below a certain point in his left thigh. He also lost his teeth from being thrown from the shockwave.
Injured for life
“Cluster munitions are dark, scary and awful”.
The effects are long lasting. “I have to be careful from now on. A fall or accident could disturb the metal fragment piece still in my neck and injure me further.” He cannot put weight on his left leg and cannot walk properly as a result of the injuries he sustained in the cluster munition attack. “It feels like my leg is in a bear trap”.
Furthermore, he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes as a result of the injuries he sustained and complications with blood flow and circulation. He worries that eventually his leg will be amputated.
“When you’re injured by cluster munitions there is no end. I cannot put this incident behind me”.
What are cluster munitions?
Cluster munitions are weapons consisting of a container that opens in the air and release explosive submunitions or "bomblets". Cluster munitions scatter over wide areas, often leaving hundreds of unexploded bomblets behind. Many fail to detonate on impact, acting like hidden landmines for years. They are often found in farmland, villages, and schools, putting civilians -especially children - at risk.
