DISINFO: UK deliveries of depleted uranium shells to Ukraine would spell a radioactive disaster
SUMMARY
The potential use of British-supplied depleted uranium shells by Ukraine would have a devastating impact on the country’s economy and population, lasting for centuries to come.
RESPONSE
The claim advances a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative regarding Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.
Depleted uranium shells are not nuclear weapons. Any health effects flowing from their use on the battlefield would be minimal, given that the shells are armor-piercing rounds, which use a dense material designed to better penetrate main battle tanks through higher kinetic impact.
The radioactivity of depleted uranium is negligible. Under international agreements, munitions containing this isotope are considered neither nuclear nor chemical weapons. See here, here, and here for further debunking by The Insider (in Russian).
See examples of related disinformation narratives, such as claims that Ukraine is going to use a dirty bomb to accuse Russia of using tactical nuclear weapons, that Ukraine asked NATO for preemptive nuclear strikes against Russia, that Ukraine wanted to acquire nuclear weapons because of American pressure, or that Zelenskyy is pushing the world towards a nuclear war.