Cluster Munitions Leave at Least 1,063 Casualties Worldwide in 2025

A new report says the 1,063 casualties recorded globally in 2025 constituted one of the highest annual tolls on record.

Published On 9 Sep 20269 Sep 2026

Cluster munitions killed or injured at least 1,063 people worldwide in 2025, marking one of the highest annual casualty tolls on record, according to a report by an international network of researchers.

Most of those affected were civilians, including at least 34 children, the Cluster Munition Coalition said in its annual report on Tuesday. Casualties were recorded in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Iraq, Laos, Lebanon, Myanmar, Russia, Syria and Ukraine.

Ukraine recorded the highest number of casualties for the fourth consecutive year, accounting for 87 percent of the global total in 2025.

The actual toll is likely higher because many casualties go unreported, the report said. The deadliest year on record was 2022, when 1,172 casualties were documented following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Cluster munitions consist of containers that disperse numerous small explosives across wide areas. Their indiscriminate effects pose a serious threat to civilians, and unexploded submunitions can remain dangerous long after an attack.

The Convention on Cluster Munitions emerged from the Oslo Process and entered into force in 2010 after Norway and other countries pushed for an international treaty to protect civilians from the controversial weapons.

The convention bans the use, production and stockpiling of cluster munitions. It has 112 states parties and 12 signatories. Lithuania became the first and only country to withdraw from the treaty when it left in March.

The Cluster Munition Coalition reported that cluster munitions were used in 2025 by Iran, Myanmar, Russia, Thailand, Ukraine and Mali, which is a party to the convention.

Although the coalition could not verify all the allegations, it cited 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.

Researchers also found evidence of new production in China, India, Israel, Myanmar, North Korea, Poland, Romania, Russia and South Korea. The report said indications suggest that the United States plans to begin producing cluster munitions in the future.

In December, the United States and Russia both voted against an annual UN General Assembly resolution supporting the convention, the first time they had opposed it since the measure was introduced.

The report said reductions in US foreign assistance in 2025 disrupted efforts to clear cluster munition remnants, contributing to the deaths and injuries of at least 117 people during the year.

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