Russia’s foreign ministry protested the shells - so-called ‘silver bullet’ rounds - ‘infect the environment and cause oncology in people’ . - by Joe Barnes for The Telegraph.
Britain on Tuesday confirmed it would send depleted uranium tank rounds to Ukraine, sparking protests from Moscow.
Baroness Goldie, the defence minister, said the shells would be delivered for use with the squadron of Challenger 2 battle tanks promised to Kyiv.
“Such rounds are highly effective in defeating modern tanks and armoured vehicles,” she said in response to a parliamentary written question.
In the last three decades, depleted uranium shells have been the tank round of choice for both the US and UK’s militaries.
At twice the density of lead, and as hard as hardened steel, depleted uranium possess powerful armour-busting capabilities.
Upon impact, rounds made of depleted uranium keep their shape better, effectively sharpening, than one made of the more expensive tungsten or steel. As it breaks through the armour, the uranium burns white hot, often sparking an inferno by setting fuel tanks or ammunition stores on fire.
But the so-called “silver bullets” have gained a controversial reputation because of the potential impacts to human health.
Critics have argued that the shells can be directly linked to leukaemia, kidney damage and lung cancer.
There is no international ban on the use of tank-busting rounds made from depleted uranium, which is a by-product of uranium enrichment.
But after a number of controversies, Western militaries have scaled back their use of such shells.
State media belonging to governments with anti-Nato tenancies often focus on the US military’s large use of depleted munitions during the 2003 Iraq War.
Washington promised to stop using the armour-penetrating rounds against ISIS targets after it emerged they were used on two strikes against the terror cult in 2015.
The same criticism was used by Maria Zakharova, Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, who pointed to discoveries of contaminations after Nato’s campaign in Kosovo, where the shells were used.
“These shells not only kill, but infect the environment and cause oncology in people living on these lands,” she wrote on the Telegram messaging app on Tuesday.
Joe Barnes
BRUSSELS CORRESPONDENT
This article is accompanied by two other articles for the Telegraph contained in this pdf file:
These are
Russian cruise missiles destroyed in drone strike on Crimea train – by Our Foreign Staff - 21.03.23. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/03/21/russian-cruise-missiles-destroyed-crimea-blast-ukraine-claims/
More on the Ukraine War by Joe Barnes for The Telegraph 20.03.23. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/03/20/watch-ukraine-counter-attack-russian-troops-bakhmut-supply-line/
Baroness Goldie, the defence minister, said the shells would be delivered for use with the squadron of Challenger 2 battle tanks Credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images Europe
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