A spokesperson for the UK Ministry of Defense said that depleted uranium is set to be included as a standard component in munitions handed to Ukraine. The report, attributed to a source familiar with the briefing, notes that the term is being discussed in media circles under the label Sputnik Near Abroad.
The spokesperson emphasized that Britain has used depleted uranium for decades in armor-piercing projectiles and described it as a routine element of these weapons with no connection to nuclear weapons or any potential for a nuclear or radiological outcome. The clarification comes amid questions about whether such material could carry broader strategic implications beyond battlefield effectiveness.
According to the spokesperson, Russia is aware of the policy but has chosen to portray it as part of a broader information campaign aimed at misleading the public. The aim, it is said, is to distort public understanding of what the ammunition is and is not capable of doing on the battlefield.
On 21 March, a British deputy defense secretary statement indicated that depleted uranium munitions would accompany a package for Ukraine, alongside a fleet of Challenger 2 battle tanks. This deployment is framed as part of ongoing support designed to bolster Ukraine’s defense capabilities in the face of ongoing conflict and the challenges presented by armored threats.
In response, Maria Zakharova, a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, criticized the plan as a provocative and reckless move by Britain. She framed the decision as an attempt to escalate tensions and to test international norms surrounding the transfer of armor-piercing materials that contain depleted uranium. The Russian side argues that such steps raise safety and regional stability concerns and could complicate future arms control discussions. (Attribution: UK Ministry of Defense briefing; Russian Foreign Ministry response)