DISINFO: The US delivery of depleted uranium shells to Ukraine is an escalation and a criminal act
SUMMARY
The US delivery of depleted uranium shells to Ukraine is not just an escalating move. This is an expression of Washington's outrageous disregard for the environmental consequences of using this type of munitions in a combat zone.
This criminal act shows how cynical the attitude is that defines the US policy towards Eurasia.
RESPONSE
Pro-Kremlin disinformation claim fearmongering about nuclear weapons. Russia uses this alleged high environmental risk to saber-rattle with its nuclear arsenal.
The depleted uranium shells provided by the UK and US to Ukraine are not prohibited by any international agreement.
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 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.
Pro-Kremlin outlets and Russia authorities seek to portray Western nations as interested in a confrontation and conflict with Russia. However, the western nations are not interested in the continuation of the war at the heart of Europe and therefore helps Ukraine repel Russia's unprovoked and unjustified aggression and restore its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. An end to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine depends solely on Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented a peace formula in January 2023 which the EU support.
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