Cluster munitions killed or injured more than 1,000 people in 2025

Cluster munitions killed or injured more than 1,000 people in 2025
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A new report by the Cluster Munition Monitor 2026 revealed that cluster munitions killed or injured at least 1,063 people worldwide in 2025, with civilians accounting for 87 percent of documented victims.

The report, prepared by the Cluster Munition Coalition with contributions from Human Rights Watch, warned that the actual number of casualties is likely higher due to unreported incidents and the continued danger posed by unexploded remnants of past conflicts.

Cluster munitions, which are fired by artillery, missiles, mortars, or dropped from aircraft, release multiple smaller explosives over wide areas. Many fail to detonate on impact and can remain dangerous for years, functioning like landmines and continuing to threaten civilians long after conflicts end.

New casualties were recorded in nine countries in 2025, including Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Myanmar, Russia, Syria, and Ukraine. The report also documented the use of cluster munitions by several countries not party to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions.

Human Rights Watch called on governments to strengthen efforts to ban the production, transfer, and use of these weapons, warning that declining funding for clearance operations is increasing risks for communities affected by unexploded ordnance. The organization urged states to use upcoming international meetings to renew commitments to eliminate cluster munitions worldwide.