Washington announced it will supply depleted uranium tank ammunition to Ukraine as part of more than $1 billion in military and humanitarian. However, such munitions have drawn controversy over potential health and environmental concerns.
The United States will provide depleted uranium tank ammunition to Ukraine as part of more than $1 billion in military and humanitarian aid announced by Washington on Wednesday.
The 120mm rounds, included in $175 million in military equipment for Kyiv that will be drawn from US stocks, are for M1 Abrams tanks expected to be delivered to Ukraine before the end of the year.
Depleted uranium munitions are controversial due to their association with health problems such as cancer and birth defects in areas used in past conflicts. However, they have not been definitively proven to have caused such issues.
The density of depleted uranium, a by-product of the nuclear enrichment process, helps rounds contain it to punch through heavy armor, making it ideal for ammunition designed to target tanks.
Depleted uranium munitions are part of the military arsenals of many countries, including those of the United States and Russia, and their use is not banned under international law.
Britain said earlier this year that it would provide Kyiv with armor-piercing ammunition containing depleted uranium, after which Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to begin using it in Ukraine.
The US promise of depleted uranium rounds comes about two months after Washington said it would provide cluster munitions to Ukraine, a controversial decision drew sharp criticism from rights groups due to the danger unexploded bomblets pose.
The US decision “is a clear sign of inhumanity,” the Russian embassy said on Telegram.
Miroslava Salazar, with AFP
