DISINFO: The latest US attempt to escalate the war: sending depleted uranium shells to Ukraine
SUMMARY
The US, as the leader of the entire West and NATO, is doing its best to deter Russia as much as possible and escalate the war in Ukraine. Washington’s latest move to send depleted uranium shells to Ukraine, to be used with the Abrams tanks it is also supplying, seems to be pointing to this. The use of uranium shells is a controversial issue and its implications, including potential environmental and health risks that may cause cancer and the birth of disabled children, are well recognised.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation claim fearmongering about nuclear weapons. Russia uses this alleged high environmental risk to saber-rattle its nuclear arsenal.
The depleted uranium shells provided by the UK and US to Ukraine are not prohibited by any international agreement or convention.
Depleted uranium shells are not considered to be nuclear weapons.
In 2007, the UN General Assembly launched a study to find out the health effects of depleted uranium weapons. The United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) found no significant poisoning was caused by exposure to depleted uranium.
The EU assessment by the Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks describes the risks as follows:
DU [depleted uranium] munitions which hit the ground bury themselves in the soil, where the uranium oxidises and dissolves over years or decades. Over time, the uranium is removed from near the impact site. Total amounts are not high enough to add significantly to the natural uranium background.
Surveys of DU residues from combat zones show generally low concentrations of the metal, within the range of naturally occurring uranium, though there may also be a small number of “hot spots”.
Urine samples from serving soldiers and from civilians living in areas where DU ammunition has been used, typically indicate very low levels of DU exposure.
Western nations provide Ukraine with financial, military and technical assistance for the country’s efficient self-defence against the unprovoked Russian invasion - as enshrined in UN Charter Article 51.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented a peace formula in January 2023, which the EU supports.
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