Ukraine: Uranium munitions to Kiev – the impact on war and people

Watson answers

Britain wants armor-piercing ammunition with depleted uranium to the Ukraine delivery. The announcement sparked a heated discussion: how dangerous is that? Will this lead to a further escalation? Then: Shortly thereafter, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia will deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus in response.

The use of depleted uranium ammunition is controversial because the metal is toxic – both for the soldiers and for people living in the war zone.

The use of uranium ammunition in war is controversial. Bild: U.S. Air National Guard / Staff Sgt. Nicholas Perez

But from the beginning: What is behind this uranium ammunition and how dangerous is it really? Conflict observer Nikita Gerasimov assesses the situation in an interview with watson.

What is depleted uranium?

Depleted uranium is a waste product resulting from the enrichment of uranium for use in nuclear power plants or in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. It is about 60 percent less radioactive than uranium in its natural state. Uranium is very dense, about 1.7 times as dense as lead.

It’s so hard that it doesn’t change shape when it hits a target. Therefore, depleted uranium is used to give grenades and bombs more power. According to Gerasimov, military personnel rave about the armor-piercing properties of such ammunition. According to him, it is essentially tank ammunition with an “arrow” in the core, with depleted uranium, which has a density many times greater than that of ordinary shells.

According to Gerasimov, London’s announcement to send uranium ammunition to Kiev can be viewed on three levels – ecological, military and power-political. The assessment is extremely ambivalent on all three levels.

Uranium ammunition from an ecological point of view

According to Gerasimov, from an ecological point of view, there has been a debate for decades about whether DU (Depleted Uranium) ammunition would cause long-term damage to People and Environment in the operational area. In doing so, proponents and opponents of the ammunition refer to various studies to support their representations.

According to Gerasimov, the British and American military rigorously deny any long-term effects of the munitions on the environment or soldiers. “They refer to some of their own studies on the consequences of DU ammunition in use,” he explains.

US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said uranium munitions are not radioactive. Image: AP/Susan Walsh

According to US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, uranium ammunition is not radioactive and “not even close” to being considered a nuclear weapon. The use of uranium ammunition or DU ammunition is therefore not prohibited under international law. However, the medical organization “International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War” (IPPNW) sees things differently.

Gerasimov says:

In the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in Iraq in particular, the cancer rates among the local population and soldiers are said to have increased many times over, says the expert.

The US military also used uranium ammunition in the Iraq war.Bild: imago stock&people / imago images

Even now – in the case of Ukraine – opinions are divided. According to Gerasimov, Ukrainian military observers warn against massive use of uranium ammunition. “They fear that large areas of Ukraine could become toxic and radiologically contaminated,” explains the conflict observer.

The use of uranium ammunition would lead to catastrophic consequences for the Ukrainian population, nature and agriculture. The decontamination of the soil could take decades.

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. However, many studies have concluded that there is no evidence that depleted uranium is harmful. However, these results remain controversial.

Uranium ammunition from a military point of view

From a purely military point of view, the delivery of uranium ammunition will probably not bring about any major changes on the battlefield, says Gerasimov.

Is said:

According to experts, the uranium ammunition is not a “game changer” for the war in Ukraine.Image: AP / LIBKOS

With the uranium ammunition, only another type of ammunition with similar armor-piercing properties is introduced, which both sides are already using in the war.

Uranium ammunition from a power-political point of view

Gerasimov is not surprised at the reaction to London’s announcement that it would deliver uranium ammunition. Shortly thereafter, the Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko came forward and promised that Russian nuclear weapons would be stationed in Belarus as a reaction. Should London supply ammunition with depleted uranium to Kiev, “then Russia will just supply us ammunition with real uranium”Lukashenko told Belarusian journalists.

Indeed, just a few days later, Putin announced the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus. “There have been debates about the possible stationing of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus for some time, but Moscow has not taken this step so far,” says Gerasimov. But now London, Moscow and Minsk are providing the perfect excuse to take this step. “And they present it as a reaction to the British shipments of uranium ammunition,” says the expert.

(With material from the dpa)