Why are the depleted uranium munitions promised by the United States so controversial?

These controversial weapons, due to the toxic risks to the army and the population, had already been used extensively during the Gulf Wars in 1990 and 2003 and during the NATO bombings in the former Yugoslavia in 1999.

Announcement infuriates Moscow. The United States will supply Ukraine with anti-tank munitions containing depleted uranium, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced during a surprise visit to Kiev on Wednesday, as part of new aid announced on Wednesday totaling $1 billion and supposedly “new” aid to Ukraine. A driving force for the Ukrainian counterattack.

This is the first time that the United States intends to deliver such depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine, which are capable of penetrating armor, but are controversial because of the toxic risks to the army and the population.

Use is not prohibited by international law

Uranium is a very dense metal and does not deform when it comes into contact with its target. It is then used in armor-piercing shells and bombs to make them more penetrating.

These ammunitions are found in the stores of many armies, most notably the American and Russian ones. Their use is not prohibited by international law, and they were used extensively during the Gulf Wars in 1990 and 2003 and during the NATO bombing of the former Yugoslavia in 1999.

For its part, the International Atomic Energy Agency indicated that studies conducted in the former Yugoslavia, Kuwait, Iraq and Lebanon “showed that the presence of depleted uranium residues spread in the environment does not pose a radiological danger to the world.” population of affected areas.

But opponents of the use of these munitions claim that ingesting or breathing DU dust poses serious health risks, including cancer and birth defects.

Moscow threatens

This is not the first time that one of Kiev’s allies has promised to send such weapons to Ukraine. Last March, a year after the start of the conflict, British Deputy Defense Minister Annabel Goldie confirmed on Monday that the United Kingdom would supply it with missiles of this type.

In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin described this type of missile as “the most dangerous” and that “generates what we call radioactive dust.” He also implicitly threatened Ukraine with the use of weapons of the same type on its territory.

He added: “Russia, of course, has something to bear responsibility for. We have, without exaggeration, hundreds of thousands of missiles of this type. We are not using them at the present time.”

This Wednesday, following the US announcement, Moscow once again criticized the depleted uranium shipment, calling such future aid “a clear sign of inhumanity.”

The Russian embassy also criticized that “the United States is deliberately transferring weapons with unspecified effects.” According to her, Washington “refuses to accept the failure of the so-called counteroffensive of the Ukrainian armed forces” and is ready to “abandon future generations.”