Cluster Munitions

During a 10-day investigative mission to Georgia in late October, Human Rights Watch documented the impact of Russian use of cluster munitions in seven towns and villages and Georgian use of cluster munitions in nine villages, though most of the casualties investigated appeared to be caused by the Russian weapons. Cluster munitions killed and injured civilians at the time of the attacks in which they were used because they spread submunitions over broad, populated areas. Cluster munitions from both sides also caused civilian casualties after the fighting stopped because they failed to explode on initial impact, leaving duds that operate like landmines. The following photographs, taken on the ground during the mission, show the types of submunitions found and the larger casings that delivered the submunitions.