Because Great Britain wants to supply armor-piercing ammunition with depleted uranium to Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin is now stationing tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. That’s the Kremlin chief’s explanation. These are “weapons with a nuclear component,” Putin claims. The British Ministry of Defense, on the other hand, speaks of a “standard component”. But how dangerous is uranium really? The most important facts.
Russia and the USA also have depleted uranium ammunition
This is depleted uranium: The waste product is about 60 percent less radioactive than natural uranium. It is formed during the enrichment of uranium for use in nuclear power plants or in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. The projectiles with depleted uranium have a special impact, for example to destroy tanks. It does not change shape on impact.
This is known about the use: Uranium ammunition is not prohibited under international law and is part of the arsenal, especially in the USA and Russia. The US used them twice in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.
Putin: Uranium ammunition is “among the most harmful and dangerous for humans”
What Putin says: “Without exaggeration, we have hundreds of thousands of such missiles,” Putin said. So far, however, they have not been used. Uranium ammunition is “among the most harmful and dangerous for humans” because the uranium nucleus causes radioactive dust and contaminates the soil. It would make the Ukrainians “sick,” Putin said on state television on Saturday.
London says: British Deputy Defense Secretary Annabel Goldie said on Monday that London intends to supply Ukraine with armor-piercing depleted uranium ammunition. The Ministry of Defense in London accused Putin of misinformation after speaking of a “nuclear component”. The British Army has been using depleted uranium in armor-piercing shells for decades. Putin knows that this has nothing to do with nuclear weapons or capabilities.
No evidence that uranium is harmful – but that is controversial
This is what the study says: Many studies have concluded that there is no evidence that depleted uranium is harmful. However, these results remain controversial. However, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) classifies depleted uranium as a toxic and radioactive heavy metal. Upon impact with their target, the projectiles release uranium oxide and particles. According to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, the main health risk is not radioactivity but the chemical toxicity of depleted uranium.
Accordingly, the intake or inhalation of large amounts can affect the kidneys and increase the risk of lung cancer over a long period of time. Depleted uranium is also believed to be a possible cause of health problems among Gulf War veterans and a possible reason for the high rates of cancer and birth defects in the Iraqi city of Fallujah. However, this has not been scientifically proven.
