Global Toll of Cluster Munitions Surpasses 1,000 Casualties in 2025, Report Reveals

A new annual report from the Cluster Munition Coalition reveals that cluster munitions have killed or injured at least 1,063 people globally in 2025, marking one of the highest annual death and injury tolls on record. The vast majority of these casualties were civilians, which included at least 34 children, according to the findings released on Tuesday.

Casualties resulting from the controversial weapons were documented across several countries, including Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Myanmar, Russia, Syria, and Ukraine. For the fourth consecutive year, Ukraine recorded the highest number of casualties in 2025, representing 87 percent of the worldwide total. Researchers noted that the actual figures are likely even higher due to many incidents going unreported.

The highest recorded annual toll remains 1,172 casualties in 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Cluster munitions are designed to release smaller explosives indiscriminately over wide areas, presenting a severe and long-lasting danger to civilian populations as many of these submunitions fail to detonate upon impact.

The Convention on Cluster Munitions, established through the Oslo Process and enacted in 2010, aims to protect civilians by prohibiting the use, production, and stockpiling of these weapons. The international treaty currently counts 112 states parties and 12 signatories, though Lithuania became the first country to withdraw from the agreement in March.

According to the Cluster Munition Coalition, cluster munitions were actively used in 2025 by Iran, Myanmar, Russia, Thailand, Ukraine, and Mali, the latter of which is a party to the convention. Furthermore, unverified reports cited potential use by Israel and the US in Iran, Pakistan in Afghanistan, Houthi forces in Israel, and Israel in Lebanon.

Evidence of ongoing production of cluster munitions was identified in China, India, Israel, Myanmar, North Korea, Poland, Romania, Russia, and South Korea, alongside indications that the US plans to resume production in the future. In December, both the US and Russia voted against an annual United Nations General Assembly resolution promoting the convention for the first time. Additionally, reductions in US foreign assistance hindered clearance operations, directly contributing to at least 117 casualties in 2025.