Britain’s Deputy Defense Minister Annabel Goldie revealed in response to a written question from a lawmaker that Britain planned to supply Ukraine with missiles “containing depleted uranium.”
The Russian President, Vladimir Putinthreatened on Tuesday to “retaliate” if London supplies Ukraine with ammunition containing depleted uranium, reacting to statements to that effect by a British official.
“Today it was reported that the UK (…) had announced not only the delivery of tanks to Ukraine, but also shells containing depleted uranium (…) If this happens, Russia will be forced to retaliate,” Putin said.
“It seems that the West has really decided to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian, not with words but with deeds,” the Russian president continued. “The West is beginning to use weapons with a nuclear component,” he added.
The Russian Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu declared that “Russia has something to answer for.” “We’ll see what they plan to use,” he warned. “One more step has been taken” in escalation, he added.
Monday night, British Deputy Defense Minister Annabel Goldiesaid in response to a written question from a British MP that Britain planned to supply Ukraine with shells “containing depleted uranium.”
“These munitions are very effective in destroying tanks and modern armored vehicles,” he said in his written response, explaining that the shells were intended for use with the Challenger tanks that London also planned to supply.
The British anti-nuclear organization Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament condemned the delivery of depleted uranium ammunitionstating in a statement on Tuesday that it would be a “new environmental and health disaster for those living in the heart of the conflict.”
depleted uranium shells They are armor-piercing ammunition whose use has been criticized due to the risks they pose to the health of soldiers. who use them and the inhabitants of the areas attacked.
According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), depleted uranium is a “chemically and radiologically polluting heavy metal”.
Depleted uranium munitions had been cited as a possible cause of “Gulf Syndrome”, the health problems of veterans of the 1991 Gulf Warbut this has not been scientifically proven.
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