The Russian Ministry of Defense said that Britain’s plans to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium ammunition will have negative consequences for the Ukrainian army, the population and agriculture of this country.
The military department drew attention to the statement of the Deputy Minister of Defense of Great Britain Annabelle Goldie, who previously stated that London will send armor-piercing sub-caliber shells to Kiev.
“In addition to supplying Ukraine with Challenger-2 battle tanks, we will supply ammunition, including armor-piercing shells containing depleted uranium.” answered Goldie answered a question from a member of the House of Lords, Raymond Jolliff, who asked if any of the munitions supplied to Ukraine contained depleted uranium.
According to the British Ministry of Defense, shells containing depleted uranium increased effectiveness in destroying armored vehicles. The agency named depleted uranium a standard component of armor-piercing ammunition.
In turn, the head of the radiation, chemical and biological protection troops of the Russian Armed Forces, Igor Kirillov, said that there are documents confirming the awareness of NATO countries about the dangerous consequences of using such ammunition, both for humans and for humans. environment.
“The West is well aware of the negative consequences of using depleted uranium munitions,” Kirillov said during the briefing.
According to him, after the use of such shells, important areas planted on the territory of Ukraine will be contaminated, and vehicles can emit radioactive substances to the rest of the region. Kirillov also warned of possible damage to Ukraine’s agro-industrial complex.
Properties of depleted uranium
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation stated that armor-piercing sub-caliber ammunition is artillery shells, whose active part is less in diameter than the caliber of the weapon. This type of ammunition is used for firing at tanks and armored vehicles at direct firing ranges.
“The use of depleted uranium in this type of ammunition is due to its high density, which provides a high armor-piercing effect,” said Kirillov. “When it hits the armor, the mild steel bullet shatters and transfers its energy to the armor-piercing core.”
According to him, tungsten alloys have similar properties, but ammunition based on them is much more expensive to manufacture.
“The production of ammunition with depleted uranium is used much more often in countries with uranium reserves, technology for its processing, and it is planned to use them on foreign soils, when there is no need to think about the environmental consequences,” said Kirillov. .
He pointed out that NATO countries have used this type of ammunition before in armed conflicts. The United States, in particular, used this type of ammunition in Iraq in 2003-2004.
The representative of the military department also spoke about the possible consequences of using such shells. According to Kirillov, there is a radiation hazard if depleted uranium enters the body in powder form.
“As a result of the collision with depleted uranium ammunition, a mobile hot cloud is formed, consisting of fine aerosols of uranium-238 and its oxides, which, when exposed to the body, can subsequently cause the development of serious pathologies,” he said.
Kirillov pointed out that alpha radiation fluxes from small uranium particles deposited in the respiratory tract, lungs and esophagus cause the development of malignant tumors. According to him, in the report of the British Royal Society of Science in 2001, it was stated that “it is caused by the use of depleted uranium munitions that threaten human health”, and it was stated that “the main type of cancer in humans is affected by the use of depleted uranium”. uranium ammunition is lung cancer.”
The reaction of the Russian authorities
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented on the possible supply of depleted uranium-containing shells.
“It seems that the West really decided to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian. No longer in words, but in actions. But I would like to point out that if all this happens, Russia will have to respond accordingly,” he said.
In response, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Russia has something to respond to the supply of such ammunition to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pointed out that with such a decision, Western countries are ready to “violate international humanitarian law”.
At the same time, the United States believes that Russia has exaggerated the threat from the use of depleted uranium shells. US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said at a White House briefing that Moscow was using information about these bullets as a “scarecrow.”
“This is a common type of ammunition that has been used for decades because of its armor-piercing feature,” the American official said, adding that these bullets are not radioactive and do not belong to nuclear weapons.
“If Russia is so worried about the fate of its tanks and tankers, let them get them across the border and out of Ukraine. They didn’t have a place there in the beginning,” he said.
At the same time, the Pentagon noted that the United States did not supply Ukraine with such ammunition.
The UK’s Ministry of Defense stressed that the country’s military “has been using depleted uranium in armor-piercing projectiles for decades”. “This is a standard component that has nothing to do with nuclear weapons or capabilities. Russia knows this but is deliberately trying to misinform,” he said.
Depleted uranium is a byproduct of enriching natural uranium in the production of nuclear fuel or nuclear warheads. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, depleted uranium is 60% less radioactive than natural uranium. This material is not only used in ammunition but also as ballast in aircraft and ships.