At Syrian war exhibit Russia showcases cluster bombs that it denied earlier
The Russian Defense Ministry, during the exhibition in the military park Patriot near Moscow, demonstrated cluster bombs that could have been used in Syria, reported the Conflict Intelligence Team (CIT).
The Russian Ministry of Defense organized the exhibition dedicated to the Syrian conflict. CIT journalists attended the event and confirmed that Russian aviation uses cluster bombs in Syria, although Russia has previously denied it.
Models of RBC-500 AO-2.5RTM and RBC-500 SHOAB-0.5 cluster bombs are exhibited in the "exhibition of weapons and military equipment, which are used in the combat in the Syrian Arab Republic" pavilion.
Investigative journalists revealed the fact that the Russian military used this ammunition in Syria in 2016. Then many criticized the CIT, and the Russian news outlet Gazeta.ru published an interview with a military expert who said that photos published in the investigation show high-explosive fragmentation ammunition, not the cluster bombs.
Cluster missiles were also shown in the story of Russia Today TV channel about the visit of Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu at the Khmeimim Air Base in 2016. Later the story was edited, and the footage of bombs was removed because of "military personnel security reasons."
Earlier, Reuters reported that in June, the victims of Russian aviation's airstrikes in Syria were at least 25 people, mostly civilians.