On Monday afternoon, it became known that Britain will supply Ukraine with grenades containing depleted uranium. The British government confirmed that it will send this armor-piercing munition along with 14 Challenger 2 tanks. When such ammunition hits the target, much of the uranium is converted into dust that catches fire. Crews on board armored vehicles are killed by shrapnel and burn injuries.
The news of the delivery was quickly picked up on social media in Russia, and President Vladimir Putin met the press after his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday. He was then asked how Russia should respond to this.
– If this happens, Russia will have to respond, given that the West is now collectively beginning to use weapons with a nuclear component, Putin said.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu was also quick to issue a sharp warning.
– A new step is now being taken, and there will be fewer and fewer again, he said, referring to the fact that, in his eyes, the danger of using nuclear weapons is now increasing.
Misleading statement
Palle Ydstebø is lieutenant colonel and head of land forces at the Norwegian Military Academy. He has followed the war in Ukraine closely, and believes that these statements join a long line of falsehoods from Russia.
– This is a heavy metal and not a nuclear component. The Russians know that, so this is just bullshit. Putin is bluffing, but here the Russians get an issue they can make noise about. There are also several reports, although unconfirmed, that the Russians have used this type of ammunition themselves, says Ydstebø to Nettavisen.
The British Ministry of Defense has also reacted strongly to Putin’s statements.
– The British Army has used depleted uranium as armor-piercing ammunition for decades. It is a standard component and has nothing to do with nuclear weapons or components. Russia knows this, but they are spreading false information on purpose, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense said, according to the report Sky News.
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– How does this type of ammunition work in combat, Ydstebø?
– It is extremely effective. Uranium is one of the hardest and heaviest metals in existence. It has a kinetic energy that burns through the tank. It is considered the best ammunition against tanks, answers the expert.
Facts about depleted uranium as ammunition
Depleted uranium is used in armor-piercing munitions. Spear-shaped depleted uranium projectiles of 0.5 to 8 kg easily penetrate armor plates. This is because the mass density of uranium is 2.6 times greater than the density of iron (20.2 g/mL versus 7.87 g/mL). Depleted uranium is much cheaper than other high-density metals, such as tungsten (19.4 g/mL) and gold (19.3 g/mL). It is also readily available as production waste from uranium enrichment facilities.
Due to the energy released by the collision, the uranium is atomized on the back of the armor plate, and the dust spontaneously ignites in air, forming uranium oxides. The uranium does not detonate nuclear, but the dust is weakly radioactive.
Large quantities of uranium munitions were used by UN forces (mainly by US forces) against Iraqi forces during the 1991 Gulf War. Smaller quantities were used by NATO forces during the 1999 Kosovo War.
Source: Large Norwegian encyclopedia
Controversial
Depleted uranium was used in the Gulf War in 1991, and was later used in the Kosovo War in 1999. It is also claimed from several quarters that it was used in the war in Afghanistan in 2001 and in the war in Iraq in 2003. Afterwards, civilians and soldiers have reported various health problems. Depleted uranium can cause serious damage to the kidneys and other vital organs of humans and animals, primarily through inhalation of dust.
«The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority have calculated that one must inhale approx. 1/4 g of depleted uranium, a very large dose in the circumstances, to exceed the annual dose limit in a work situation. It is excluded that such doses can induce disease, beyond a marginally increased risk of cancer“, write Large Norwegian encyclopedia.
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Per Nergaard is assistant secretary general of Norwegian People’s Aid, where he has led the mining department for over 20 years. Nergaard also has a background in the Norwegian Armed Forces, including as a UN soldier in Lebanon in the mid-eighties. He elaborates on why the use of depleted uranium is controversial.
– The reason why you use depleted uranium is that you get a projectile with a high intrinsic speed and weight to fight armored targets. When the projectile hits, the core is pulverized, and the particles from the atomized uranium go into the environment. There is little research in the area, but access to health data shows that increasing cases of cancer and other internal medicine cases have been seen. There can be up to 60 percent residual radioactive material after it has been used. Attempts have been made to go deeper into the matter, including after the Gulf War where several returned with health problems, also known as the “Gulf syndrome”, but there has been a lot of speculation and a lack of knowledge, says Nergaard to Nettavisen.
And he continues:
– In 2012, the question of introducing a ban was raised in the UN, but it ended with a UN resolution “calling for caution”, because the consequences were not sufficiently explained.
In a Norwegian report from 2013 called “Health for combat capability 2013», the conclusion was that there is no more frequent occurrence of cancer among the Kosovo veterans than among others. Norwegian soldiers serving in the KFOR force reported concerns after it became known that large quantities of depleted uranium were left on the battlefield in Kosovo.
– Disturbing
Nergaard has more than 25 years of experience in the field, and he has therefore seen the consequences of the war in a way that very few have seen. When asked what he thinks about Britain sending depleted uranium to Ukraine, he answers resolutely.
– It is disturbing. Norwegian People’s Aid will strongly warn against the use of depleted uranium. We see that the war in Ukraine has already had extremely harmful consequences for the environment. It takes place in densely built-up areas, and all types of weapons and ammunition spread enormous amounts of chemicals. Ukraine is also the world’s grain warehouse, and is extremely vulnerable to environmentally hostile actions. There is already cross-contamination, and the use of depleted uranium will intensify the situation, states Nergaard.
– According to Ydstebø, the ammunition is extremely effective against tanks. Isn’t that a good enough reason for it to be used?
– I see no basis for breaking with classic armor-piercing ammunition that is already in use, and that has worked well, replies Nergaard.
– When Putin then says that Russia will respond to this, because the West is moving to use “weapons with a nuclear component”, what do you say to that statement?
– It is a meaningless statement, emphasizes Nergaard.
