These 120mm rounds can be used in the US M1 Abrams tanks that are expected to be delivered to Ukraine this fall. Both Washington and Kyiv hope that these tanks will help Ukrainian forces build on the momentum of recent successes.
However, the projectiles have low radioactivity, leading to many questions about their safety and the risks they may pose to civilians, and have received fierce criticism from Moscow.
What is depleted uranium?
Depleted uranium is the excess uranium remaining after most of the highly radioactive uranium isotopes have been extracted from the metal mass for use in nuclear reactors or nuclear weapons.
They are much less radioactive than enriched uranium and cannot start a nuclear chain reaction. However, depleted uranium is extremely dense, making it ideal for making bullets. It is nearly twice as dense as lead, the metal commonly used in conventional ammunition.
“There is a widespread misconception that radioactivity is the most dangerous element in depleted uranium, but that is not true. Radioactivity is not the primary hazard in battlefield exposures,” says a report from the RAND Corporation.
Instead, what makes Depleted Uranium bullets so effective on the battlefield is their ability to destroy tank armor, as they become sharper upon impact.
“They have such density and kinetic energy that they can repeatedly tear through tank armor and heat up to the point of ignition,” said Edward Geist, a nuclear expert at the RAND Corporation.
The US announced the new aid package during a visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on September 6, 2023. Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine/Shutterstock.
Why are they controversial?
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations nuclear watchdog, said depleted uranium was “much less radioactive than natural uranium” but still advised caution when handling it.
The agency also said the “overall conclusion” from studies of the health of service members exposed to depleted uranium is that the exposures cannot be linked to any increased mortality among service members.
However, although depleted uranium does not contribute to the background radiation experienced by soldiers and civilians, it can be dangerous when present in the human body.
When depleted uranium shells hit tank armor, they can ignite and create uranium dust. If inhaled, they can enter the bloodstream and cause kidney failure.
According to the IAEA, “large amounts of depleted uranium in the kidneys can cause kidney damage and in extreme cases can cause kidney failure.”
The US government believes Ukraine will use depleted uranium munitions responsibly, Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said Wednesday.
“These rounds are standard ammunition used not only in the tanks that the United States uses, but also in the tanks that we will provide to Ukraine,” Ms. Singh said. “We have full confidence that the Ukrainian military will use them responsibly in their fight to regain their sovereignty .”
The decision to provide depleted uranium comes after US President Joe Biden's office decided to provide controversial cluster bombs to Ukraine earlier this year.
The US believes both munitions would help Ukraine penetrate Russian defenses as Kyiv attempts to regain territory.
Do other countries send them to Ukraine?
The British Ministry of Defense confirmed in March that it would send depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine, a decision that immediately drew sharp criticism from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“Today there was news that the UK announced not only the supply of tanks to Ukraine, but also tank shells made of synthetic uranium. I would like to reiterate that if these decisions are taken, Russia will react accordingly. And I mean that the West in general has already begun to use weapons with radioactive elements.”
British officials have accused Mr Putin of “deliberate misinformation” about the weapons, and also said, “The British military has been using depleted uranium in armour-piercing munitions for decades.”
“This is a standard part and has absolutely nothing to do with nuclear capabilities or nuclear weapons,” a Defense Ministry spokesman said. “Russia knows this but is deliberately misinforming.”
Response from Russia
The Russian Foreign Ministry has called the US decision a “criminal act”.
“This is not just an escalation, but a manifestation of Washington’s disregard for the environmental impact of using these weapons on the battlefield,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said at a press conference.
Nguyen Quang Minh (according to CNN)
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