What Does it Mean that the U.S. is Sending Depleted Uranium Munitions to Ukraine?

What Does it Mean that the U.S. is Sending Depleted Uranium Munitions to Ukraine?


The United ‌States⁢ announced an aid package for Ukraine on Sept.‍ 6 that for the​ first time included ammunition made with depleted uranium to Ukraine, raising concerns over the material’s potential‌ health and environmental⁢ effects.

The munitions — 120-millimeter anti-armor ammunition — are for use ⁢in 31 U.S.-provided M1 Abrams tanks, the first of which reached Ukraine in recent days. Britain has also sent Ukraine ammunition made with depleted uranium.

The Pentagon has ‍defended the use of the ammunition, maintaining that it will assist Kyiv’s counteroffensive against Russian forces. But some experts​ say the health risks posed‌ by depleted uranium outweigh ‍the military benefits. ‌Here ⁣is what to know about it:

Depleted​ uranium⁣ is ⁣a byproduct of uranium enrichment, the process used ⁤to create nuclear fuel. ⁣It is only mildly radioactive, but it is extremely dense —​ almost two and‌ a half times denser than steel and at least one and a half times ⁣denser than lead.

The​ material has some civilian uses, as⁢ for instance in ‌medical radiation shields,‌ certain sailboat keels ‌and some airplane parts.

But its ‍main use ​is in armaments. Depleted uranium can be fashioned into long, thin, dart-like projectiles that can pierce heavily armored​ vehicles like tanks, said Doug Weir, the research and policy director at The ​Conflict and ‌Environment Observatory. And the uranium dust created on ⁣impact can ignite,⁣ potentially​ consuming the target in fire. The United⁣ States has deployed the munitions in prior conflicts, ⁢including⁢ in the Persian Gulf War⁢ and⁤ the invasion of⁣ Iraq.

The ammunition is “part of an‍ overall trend to send Ukraine more advanced and controversial weaponry,” said ​Gabriela Iveliz Rosa Hernández,‌ a research associate at the Arms Control Association. “We’ve ⁣gone from Javelins and Stingers to Abrams tanks and F-16s ​in terms of commitment.”

Fired shells leave behind finely powdered uranium dust that can contaminate soil. The dust emits alpha radiation, which cannot penetrate skin and is not harmful when outside the ⁤body, Mr. Weir said, but when ingested or inhaled,⁣ can‍ “essentially dump radiation straight into ‍your lung tissue.”

Wim Zwijnenburg, ⁣the humanitarian disarmament project ⁢leader for the Dutch peace ⁢organization PAX, said that children and pregnant women are the most vulnerable to the​ dust’s health effects.

The Pentagon has disputed claims⁤ that depleted ⁢uranium is linked to other significant health or environmental impacts, citing studies by ⁤the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and the‌ International Atomic⁣ Energy Agency. The Department of Defense also pointed ‌to a study of almost 80 ⁣survivors of incidents involving depleted uranium⁢ in the gulf war,‍ which did not ⁣find any⁤ adverse clinical effects linked​ to ⁣the weapons.

But both Mr. Zwijnenburg ‌and Mr. Weir said that there had not been ⁤enough ⁣research…

2023-09-26 08:17:28
Article ‍from www.nytimes.com
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