After approving the shipment to Ukraine of cluster bombs, infamous for their devastating effects wherever they explode, the US government has announced that it will now also send the controversial depleted uranium munition to Kyiv.
This decision comes after three months of discussions about armor-piercing bullets, which are said to be highly effective against Russian army tanks. This will be the first time the US has shipped this type of munitions. Previously, the UK had equipped Ukrainian Challenger 2 tanks with this ammunition.
The Reuters agency already advanced last week that the Americans had practically made this decision, of which The Wall Street Journal pointed out in June that there was debate among the Pentagon commanders.
The heart of the matter is the contaminating content that this type of bullet can leave behind. Senior US military officials have indicated that although depleted uranium is a by-product of enriched uranium, this munition does not pose a radioactive threat.
In their argument, they stressed that a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations (UN) nuclear control body, states that the existence of depleted uranium residues in the environment does not pose a danger radiological for residents in areas affected by its use.
Just in case, a Pentagon spokeswoman appealed on CNN for the Ukrainians to “use responsibly” this type of ammunition, 120-millimeter caliber and intended for use in the Abrams tanks promised by the US to Ukraine last January. .
Sending depleted uranium ammunition to Ukraine for US tanks is a “criminal act” leading to escalation, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Riabkov. “This is, in fact, a criminal act, I cannot give any other assessment,” said the “number two” of Russian diplomacy on the sidelines of a conference on strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek. , statements collected by EFE from the official TASS agency.
According to Riabkov, this announcement is not only “an escalation step, but is a reflection of Washington’s outrageous disregard for the environmental consequences of using this type of ammunition in a combat zone.”
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said at a news conference that the package reflects the US being “very focused” on helping Ukraine succeed in the counteroffensive against Russia. Depleted uranium ammunition, he added, is “heavier” than normal artillery and “very effective” against tanks.
