Cluster munitions caused at least 1,063 deaths and injuries globally in 2025, marking one of the highest annual fatality rates on record, according to a new analysis by the Cluster Munition Coalition. The report, released Tuesday, highlights that the vast majority of victims were civilians, including at least 34 children.
Casualties were documented across Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Myanmar, Russia, Syria, and Ukraine. Ukraine recorded the highest number of incidents for the fourth year in a row, representing 87 percent of the global total. Researchers note that the true figures are likely higher due to significant underreporting in conflict zones.
The 2025 toll remains below the peak of 1,172 casualties recorded in 2022, which followed Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. These weapons, which disperse small explosive submunitions over wide areas, pose enduring threats because unexploded ordnance can remain active long after hostilities cease.
The Convention on Cluster Munitions, established under the Oslo Process and enforced since 2010, bans the use, production, and stockpiling of these weapons. It currently has 112 state parties and 12 signatories, though Lithuania became the first nation to withdraw from the treaty in March.
The coalition confirmed that Iran, Myanmar, Russia, Thailand, Ukraine, and Mali—despite being a treaty member—used cluster munitions in 2025. While unverified, the report also cited allegations of use by Israel and the US in Iran, Pakistan in Afghanistan, Houthi forces in Israel, and Israel in Lebanon.
Evidence of new production was identified in China, India, Israel, Myanmar, North Korea, Poland, Romania, Russia, and South Korea. The report further indicates that the US plans to resume production of cluster munitions in the future.
In a diplomatic shift, both the US and Russia voted against the annual UN General Assembly resolution supporting the convention in December, breaking from previous patterns. Additionally, the report attributed at least 117 casualties to disrupted clearance operations caused by cuts in US foreign assistance last year.
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