On March 6, 2025, Lithuania officially withdrew from the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM), citing security concerns due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. 

• Lithuania is the first country to withdraw from the convention and it also fears potential aggression from Russia and is seeking to strengthen its defenses. 
• The decision has drawn strong criticism from human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which warn of the humanitarian risks associated with cluster bombs. 
• Lithuania has also signaled its intention to leave the treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, although a final decision on that remains pending.

About the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM)

• The CCM was adopted in 2008 (entered into force in 2010) and prohibits the use, transfer, production, and stockpiling of cluster bombs.
• The treaty has 112 state parties and 12 other signatories.
• India’s Status: India is NOT a signatory to the CCM.
  • Neither Russia nor Ukraine are signatories to the convention, and both have used cluster bombs in the ongoing conflict.

About Cluster bombs

• These are explosive weapons designed to release multiple smaller bomblets or submunitions over a wide area. 
• These are controversial because many of which fail to detonate immediately, posing long-term risks similar to landmines.
• They can be dropped from aircraft, fired from artillery, or launched via missiles.

About Lithuania

• Lithuania is a Baltic state in Northern Europe.
• It was under Soviet rule until it gained independence in 1990.
• As a NATO and European Union member, Lithuania has been actively bolstering its defense capabilities since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

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