US plans to send controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine- reports

The US is planning to send Ukraine a cluster munitions package to help in its counteroffensive against Russia, US media reports.

Ukraine has been asking for the weapons for months amid an ammunition shortage.

Cluster munitions - which are banned by more than 100 countries - are a class of weapons that contain multiple explosive bomblets called submunitions.

The Biden administration is expected to announce the package on Friday, the BBC's US partner CBS News reports.

US officials had reportedly been hesitant to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions as they can kill indiscriminately over a wide area, threatening civilians. The US has a stockpile of these cluster bombs, which were first developed during World War II.