BISHKEK, Sep 7 Arms supplies to Ukraine from depleted uranium is a criminal act on the part of the United States, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on the sidelines of the seminar «Strengthening the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Regime» in Bishkek.
war zone,» the diplomat said.
Depleted uranium is obtained after the isolation of the isotope-235 from it. It is close in density to tungsten, which makes it possible to use it in the cores of armor-piercing projectiles, which are smaller in size, but have a much greater damaging effect. The radioactivity of depleted uranium is less than that of natural ore, but, like other heavy metals, it is toxic and can lead to extremely negative health consequences, including massive oncological diseases.
He recalled that hundreds of expert materials have been published around the world with the opinions of ecologists, doctors, chemists about the irreparable harm that such weapons can cause to the environment. that they don’t care who breathes it in, where it settles, and what consequences it will lead to for those who are now fighting and what will happen to the generations that will live on this earth,» Ryabkov emphasized.
This criminal act shows how cynical the attitude that determines the US policy in the Eurasian direction, the Deputy Foreign Minister concluded.
The day before, the Pentagon officially announced that the United States will transfer depleted uranium shells to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package.
The United States has become the second country to announce the transfer of shells with depleted uranium to Ukraine. In March, British Deputy Minister of Defense Annabelle Goldie announced plans to supply Kiev with such ammunition for Challenger 2 tanks.
As Vladimir Putin noted, these shells do not belong to the category of weapons of mass destruction, but they generate radioactive dust, is the most harmful and dangerous weapon for a person. So far, only NATO countries, including Iraq and Yugoslavia, have used such munitions.
In response to such a step on the part of Britain, Moscow and Minsk agreed to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus. As Putin explained, this does not violate international obligations, since Russia does not transfer its arsenal to a neighboring state.