Overview
- Human Rights Watch counts 314 people killed or injured worldwide in 2024, up from 219 in 2023, with 208 casualties recorded in Ukraine.
- Russia’s use of cluster munitions is confirmed in the report, while reported Ukrainian use is included as unverified; neither country has ratified the ban treaty.
- All recorded victims in 2024 were civilians, and the report notes that children accounted for roughly 42 percent of the toll.
- HRW warns of significant undercounting, tracks incidents across nine countries, and cites dozens of Ukrainian attacks with no available casualty figures.
- The monitor flags pressure on the treaty regime, criticizing Germany over U.S. storage and transfers, noting Lithuania’s recent withdrawal, and pointing to limited new participation such as South Sudan and Vanuatu.