The USA has already used uranium ammunition in several wars. Now Ukraine is also being supplied with it. Curse or blessing? The most important questions and answers.
The United States is one of Ukraine’s most important supporters in Russia’s war of aggression. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has now proven this again. On his fourth state visit to Kiev since the outbreak of war, he announced an arms package worth millions. The USA is spending 175 million dollars (around 163 million euros) on humanitarian and military aid. Probably the most important delivery: 120 millimeter caliber ammunition with depleted uranium. It is intended for the 31 Abrams tanks that Washington promised Kiev at the beginning of the year and are scheduled to arrive there in September. It is the first time that a country has supplied uranium ammunition to Ukraine.
What is uranium ammunition?
Uranium ammunition is also called DU ammunition (depleted uranium). Their projectiles contain depleted uranium, a waste product from nuclear power plants or the production of nuclear weapons. The uranium is so hard that it does not change shape when it hits a target, but can penetrate strong armor. This is due to its high density. It is 2.5 times heavier than iron and is used to give grenades and bombs more penetration. The ammunition is therefore primarily intended for duels in which the warring parties fire at the enemy’s tanks. However, such duels are rare in the current fighting in Ukraine.
Has Ukraine already received uranium ammunition?
In the spring, Great Britain announced that it would provide Ukraine with uranium ammunition. Russian President Vladimir Putin then threatened to supply his armed forces with such ammunition. The USA is now the first country to actually deliver the bullets.
Is uranium ammunition a nuclear weapon?
No. Uranium is a natural element that also occurs in the environment. Researchers have already been able to detect it as a trace element in soil and seawater. Depleted uranium is about 60 percent less radioactive than in its natural state, but is a toxic chemical according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IEA).
How harmful is the ammunition?
The use of uranium ammunition is not prohibited under international law – but it is controversial. The UN nuclear regulator urges caution and warns of the possible dangers of an explosion. The metal is considered toxic, both for the soldiers and for the people living in the war zones.
If the ammunition decays, alpha radiation is released. Although it cannot penetrate clothing or unbroken skin, if it is absorbed through drinking water or food, it harms the human body. Uranium can damage the kidneys, among other things. The International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons (ICBUW) also attributes cancer and miscarriages to depleted uranium dust.
In an analysis, the World Health Organization recommends remediation measures if uranium levels in a region exceed limits.
The USA has already used uranium ammunition in several wars. Many US soldiers today complain of health problems. The health effects of uranium ammunition have long been controversial in research. Research projects supported by the US government rejected a connection. Other studies, including a study recently published in the journal BMJ Global Health, show the opposite.
The IEA advises using the ammunition only rarely and wearing protective clothing when doing so. A public information campaign may also be necessary “to ensure that people avoid handling the projectiles.”
What does Russia say about the announced delivery?
The Russian embassy in Washington condemned the US plans as a “clear sign of inhumanity.” “Washington, obsessed with the idea of inflicting a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia, is ready not only to fight to the last Ukrainian,” the Russian embassy said on Wednesday on the Telegram online service, warning of “a moving radioactive cloud.” . This shows that the US is “deeply indifferent” to the present and future of Ukraine and its European neighbors, the embassy said, adding that the Russian army will continue to methodically destroy weapons supplied to Ukraine.
Where has uranium ammunition already been used?
According to the ICBUW organization, the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Russia, France and Pakistan produce uranium weapons. Fourteen other countries are known to be storing at least uranium weapons. However, so far only the USA and Great Britain have used uranium ammunition. Large quantities of it were used in Iraq, the Gulf Wars, Serbia and Kosovo.
After the Iraq War, researchers at the Uranium Medical Research Center (UMRC) detected radioactive radiation levels that were 20 times higher in particularly contested regions. The researchers measured 2,500 times the natural radioactivity of individual Iraqi tanks that had been shot down.
Sources: , , , “”, , “”, , , , with material from AFP and DPA
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
