U.S. provides depleted Uranium Ammunition for Ukraine

Shafaq News/ The Pentagon has unveiled a new security assistance package worth up to $175 million for Ukraine, marking the first time the U.S. sends depleted uranium ammunition, a controversial armor-piercing munition, to Kyiv.

In addition to the depleted uranium ammunition, the military aid package includes anti-armor systems, tactical air navigation systems, and additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).

This $175 million assistance is part of a larger package totaling more than $1 billion, announced by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his visit to Ukraine. The package includes over $665 million in new military and civilian security assistance and substantial support for Ukraine's air defenses and other areas.

While the United Kingdom sent depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine earlier in the year, this marks the first shipment of such ammunition from the United States and is expected to provoke controversy.

In response to this development, the Kremlin expressed concerns about the potential environmental and health consequences of using depleted uranium ammunition in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov referred to the use of such ammunition by NATO during the bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, suggesting that it had led to a rise in cancer cases and other health issues.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov accused the United States of escalating the conflict in Ukraine by providing these munitions and described it as a "criminal act."

Depleted uranium is a dense by-product created during uranium enrichment for use in nuclear reactors or weapons. While it is still radioactive, it has significantly lower levels of certain isotopes than natural uranium ore, reducing its radioactivity. It is utilized in weapons due to its density, ability to self-ignite under high temperatures and pressures, and ability to become sharper as it penetrates armor plating.

Several countries, including the United States, Britain, Russia, China, France, and Pakistan, produce depleted uranium weapons, which are not classified as nuclear weapons. Additionally, 14 other countries are known to store such weapons, according to the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons.