Ukraine, Depleted Uranium Ammunition: The Clash Between Russia and the United States

Ukraine, Depleted Uranium Ammunition: The Clash Between Russia and the United States

Supplying depleted uranium ammunition to Ukraine is a criminal act. Russia attacks the United States after Washington announced new aid to Kiev at a crucial stage of the war. Washington has allocated a new package for Ukraine: military aid, in particular, includes depleted uranium munitions and in particular 120 mm projectiles that will be used by Abrams tanks and the Stars and Stripes that Kiev is about to receive. The properties of depleted uranium ammunition guarantee an advantage to those who use it: the shells are capable of causing greater damage than regular ammunition. These “qualities” are essential in a complex phase of the war. Kiev’s counterattack advances south, where minefields and Russian defense lines slow the Ukrainian advance.

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It is not just one step in the escalation. “It is a sign of Washington’s blatant disregard for the environmental consequences resulting from the use of this type of munitions in a war zone,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said in a press conference reported by RIA.

Washington quickly dispelled Moscow’s concerns: the Pentagon responded that the use of depleted uranium munitions did not pose a health risk, as Russia had warned.

Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said: “The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that there is no evidence that DU shells cause cancer. – The World Health Organization reports that there has been no increase in leukemia or other types of cancer reported about it after that.” Any exposure to uranium, or depleted uranium. The IAEA has also stated unequivocally that there is no proven link between exposure to DU and “increased cancer or significant health or environmental impacts.”

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What is the specific uranium ammunition?

Depleted uranium is what is left over when most of the highly radioactive isotopes of uranium are extracted from the mineral for use in producing nuclear fuel or nuclear weapons.

Depleted uranium is much less radioactive than enriched uranium and is unable to produce a nuclear reaction. Its density makes it effective when used to produce ammunition: the density is almost twice that of lead, the premium metal in ammunition. “It is a common misconception that radiation is the main risk associated with the use of depleted uranium,” according to a RAND report cited by Cmm. “This is not the case in most battlefield exposure scenarios.”

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