Cluster munitions kill or injure at least 1,063 people globally in 2025, report says

A new report says cluster munitions killed or injured at least 1,063 people worldwide in 2025, placing the year among the highest annual tolls on record. The findings were published by the Cluster Munition Coalition and cover casualties recorded across multiple conflict zones. Ukraine accounted for the largest share of the global total, while civilians made up most of the victims.

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The report said at least 34 children were among those killed or injured. It added that casualties were recorded in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Myanmar, Russia, Syria and Ukraine. Ukraine accounted for 87% of the global total for the fourth consecutive year, according to the report, which said the actual number is likely higher because many incidents go unreported.

The coalition said the 2025 toll was one of the highest annual figures it has recorded, with the highest total still standing at 1,172 in 2022 after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Cluster munitions disperse multiple smaller explosives over a wide area, and unexploded submunitions can remain dangerous long after fighting ends. That makes them a continuing threat to civilians, especially in populated areas and in places where clearance operations are difficult or delayed.

The report also placed the casualty figures in the context of the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which took effect in 2010 after the Oslo Process. The treaty bans the use, production and stockpiling of cluster munitions and now has 112 states parties and 12 signatories. Lithuania became the first country to withdraw from the convention in March, according to the report, underscoring continuing pressure on the treaty regime.

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The coalition said cluster munitions were used by Iran, Myanmar, Russia, Thailand, Ukraine and Mali, which is a party to the convention. It also said there were unverified reports of use by Israel and the United States in Iran, by Pakistan in Afghanistan, by Houthi forces in Israel and by Israel in Lebanon. The report said evidence of new production was found in China, India, Israel, Myanmar, North Korea, Poland, Romania, Russia and South Korea, and that evidence suggests the United States plans new production in future.

The report further said the United States and Russia voted against an annual United Nations resolution promoting the convention in December, the first time they had done so since it was introduced. It also said cuts in US foreign assistance last year disrupted clearance of cluster munitions, adding another obstacle to reducing the long-term risk from unexploded ordnance. What remains unclear is the full scale of underreporting in active conflict zones and how quickly clearance work can recover.

The next developments to watch are whether more states alter their position on the treaty and whether casualty figures continue to rise in 2026.

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