The Russian Foreign Ministry has castigated the UK’s plans to send depleted uranium projectiles to Ukraine as a step teeming with risks of “bringing the situation around Ukraine to a new cycle of aggression”.
The supplies of such ammunition to Ukraine is a “manifestation of genocide against the population that such weapons are targeting,” Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told Sputnik Radio.
The statements by Washington and London about their desire for peace in Ukraine and the well-being of the Ukrainian people are lies, the diplomat said, noting that their true goal is the destruction of Ukraine, Zakharova concluded.
Echoing the Foreign Ministry, the Russian Embassy in London said in a statement that “UK weapons supplies to Kiev, especially of such a sensitive nature, would lead to the aggravation of the situation and further the prospects of a mutually acceptable negotiated solution. They also run counter to norms of international law.”
West Seeking Nuclear Conflict?
On Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow would be forced to “react accordingly” should the UK decide to go ahead with the decision.
President Putin pointed out that the collective West has already started to use weapons with a “nuclear component”.
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said that the UK’s decision implied that there were “fewer steps” left before a potential “nuclear collision”.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the move would “undermine” the global strategic stability. The top Russian diplomat warned that the move would end “badly for them”.
Where Does Depleted Uranium Come From?
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), depleted uranium is the by-product which one gets during the process of enriching uranium.
The uranium is enriched to produce fuel for nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons.
How Dangerous is Depleted Uranium?
Depleted uranium has various offensive and defensive military applications. It is used in the manufacturing of ammunition used to pierce armor plating (used on tanks, and missile tip heads), according to the IAEA.
It says that armor made of depleted uranium is much more resistant to penetration by conventional anti-armor ammunition than conventional hard-rolled steel armor plates.
DU ammo is preferred over other metals because of its high density and its pyrophoric nature (property of self-igniting when exposed to high temperatures). DU is also known to become “sharper” as it penetrates armor plating, the IAEA reports.
Is Depleted Uranium Still Radioactive?
Depleted uranium is considered less radioactive than naturally occurring uranium, as per IAEA.
But, if deployed in warfare, depleted uranium shells could have long-term health implications for the people living in conflict territories.
A United Nations report has said that the “chemical toxicity” of depleted uranium is a “more significant” issue than its radioactive effects. The material could cause skin irritation, kidney failure and increase the risk of cancer, the UN disclosed.
British activists from Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament have revealed that widespread use of depleted uranium shells by the US and the UK in the Balkans and Iraq triggered a "sharp increase in cases of various types of cancer, such as breast cancer or lymphoma".
Based on reports, US veterans involved in past military operations are still reeling from the adverse effects of depleted uranium.
The Russian Embassy in London has warned that the potential use of depleted uranium would inflict “maximum damage and destruction to the population of the frontline regions”.
“In general, this provides further evidence that Ukraine represents nothing more than a testing ground for the UK in its stand-off with our country,” the embassy statement said.
Does the US Military Still Use Depleted Uranium?
US and NATO forces indeed have a history of using depleted uranium shells in their military interventions in the Gulf War (1991), the bombing of the former Yugoslavia, and in the Iraq invasion (2003).
It has been reported that up to 300 metric tonnes of depleted uranium had been used in Iraq.
The United States is still known to possess large quantities of depleted uranium armor and military equipment.
However, the Pentagon has said that it would not be supplying any depleted uranium ammunition to Kiev.