Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow is prepared to deploy weapons with depleted uranium if necessary in response to reports that the United States plans to supply such weaponry to Ukraine.
The declaration was made simultaneously with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko's affirmation that his government had obtained Russian tactical nuclear weapons three times more potent than those deployed in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, according to The Independent.
The US will supply Ukraine with depleted-uranium rounds that can pierce Russian tank armor, according to a report from the Insider, citing a Wall Street Journal article. For several months, the Biden administration has considered how this choice may affect the environment and public health. An administration official said there are no severe hurdles to providing the munitions.
When utilized in tank shells, the dense by-product of nuclear enrichment, depleted uranium, is chosen because of its superior penetration properties. This might offer Ukraine an edge in tank combat as it reclaims southern and eastern Ukraine from Russian troops.
Concerning its counteroffensive against Putin's soldiers, Ukraine claims excellent success, claiming that Russia is losing an estimated 900 men daily.
⚡ Damaging 🇷🇺 Russian minelayer by an FPV drone#Ukraine #ukrainecounteroffensive #counteroffensive #Zaporizhzhia #Tokmak #Storozheve #Blahodatne #Makarivka #Donetsk #Donbass pic.twitter.com/5WSqgwNYa9
— Ukrainian Witness 🇺🇦 (@warinukraineua) June 14, 2023
Depleted uranium ammo, used in the Challenger tanks that the UK delivered, was the first ally to provide Ukraine. These cutting-edge rounds have unmatched penetrating capability and are widely used by the US military for anti-armor operations, according to Fox News.
Russia has criticized the UK's supply of depleted uranium shells for accusing Western countries of helping Ukraine with "weapons with a nuclear component."
Experts Warn of Environment, Health Risks
The US government has expressed worries about these shells' health and environmental implications despite President Biden's Defense Department's adamant support for their sale to Ukraine.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies depleted uranium as a radiation health threat if breathed in as dust or shrapnel. However, it does not release enough radiation to enter the skin from the outside.
The UN Environment Program warns that the material's chemical toxicity may cause skin irritation, renal failure, and cancer.
Although depleted uranium shells are not radioactive, if shrapnel becomes lodged in the skin, there may be consequences. Scott Boston, a retired Army artillery officer, claims that the shells' great density and kinetic velocity render them very efficient against opponent armor arrays.
