The US has agreed to supply depleted uranium bombs to Ukraine. Depleted uranium bombs are controversial weapons, so-called ‘dirty bombs’, and are the first time the United States has delivered them to Ukraine since the start of the war in Ukraine.
US Secretary of State Tony Blincoln visited Ukrainian capital Kyiv (Russian name Kyiv) on the 6th, met with President Volodymyr Zelensky, and announced an additional support plan worth about $1 billion.
See also: US Secretary of State to Ukraine “Reaffirms Biden’s promise, will continue to help counter aggression”…Russia abandons battlefield robotine
The support package released this time consists of air defense system support equipment, high-speed mobile rocket system (HIMARS) additional ammunition, 155mm and 105mm shells, ‘Javelin’ and AT-4 anti-armor system, and more than 3 million small arms ammunition. .
In addition, 120mm depleted uranium ammunition will be loaded into 31 Abrams tanks to be delivered to Ukraine this fall.
Depleted uranium bombs are destructive enough to penetrate a tank, but are controversial because they generate radioactive dust and toxic substances during the explosion.
A depleted uranium bomb is a shell made from uranium waste (depleted uranium) remaining in the process of enriching uranium for the manufacture of nuclear weapons or nuclear reactor fuel.
Just in: The US announces a new $175 million security assistance package to Ukraine, pulling from DoD stocks, per the Pentagon. Includes 120mm depleted uranium tank ammo for M1 Abrams tanks (which are slated to arrive this fall).Here%27s the full list👇 pic.twitter.com/TQ4FS2nOam
— Jake Epstein (@byjepstein) September 6, 2023
Prior to the United States, the British government became the first NATO member to donate depleted uranium bombs to Ukraine in March.
At the time, Russia warned that a ‘nuclear conflict’ was approaching, claiming that Britain supported weapons containing nuclear weapons, and the British government responded by saying that these weapons had nothing to do with nuclear weapons.
See also: Britain provides depleted uranium bombs to Ukraine…Putin “will respond with nuclear weapons”
■ Expert judgment is mixed
Depleted uranium shells are used as anti-tank shells because their penetration is more than twice as strong as armor-piercing shells. Developed by the US during the Cold War to destroy Soviet T-72 tanks.
The United States has used depleted uranium bombs in the 1991 Gulf War, the 1998 Kosovo War, and the 1999 Yugoslav War.
Not only the United States, but also Russia and NATO member countries have depleted uranium bombs.
Depleted uranium bombs are not nuclear weapons, but they contain a small amount of fissile material, uranium-235, and are controversial due to the chemical toxicity of the dust generated during the explosion process.
🗣 Depleted uranium ammunition can be fired from American Abrams tanks, which are to be delivered to Ukraine this fall. They can pierce armor plates because depleted uranium ammunition is almost 70% denser than lead.”We are absolutely confident that the Ukrainians will use… pic.twitter.com/iBHvzQyqOp
— Slava Ukraini 🇺🇦 In Ukraine | News, Updates (@Heroiam_Slava) September 7, 2023
Concerns have been raised about cancer, birth defects, and environmental pollution in some areas where depleted uranium bombs were used.
Some environmental groups have argued that depleted uranium bombs are the cause of the ‘Gulf War Syndrome’, which refers to various health problems in some of the US soldiers who participated in the Gulf War.
However, opinions on its harmfulness were divided even among experts, so it was not designated as a prohibited weapon under international law.
The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) said in a report published last year that depleted uranium bombs may increase the risk of cancer and kidney failure.
On the other hand, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) considers that there is some risk of radiation exposure, but there is insufficient evidence that it causes cancer.
Despite these controversies, the United States’ support for depleted uranium bombs seems to be aimed at helping Russia break through the fortified defense line in the great counteroffensive that began in early June.
“We have full confidence that Ukraine will use it responsibly only to reclaim its territory,” said Sabrina Singh, deputy spokeswoman for the Pentagon.
■ Providing cluster bombs earlier
Earlier in July, the United States was controversial when it supported Ukraine with cluster munitions that could indiscriminately kill civilians, and which more than 120 countries around the world signed an agreement to ban the manufacture, possession, and transfer of them, despite opposition from some allies.
See also: US officially announces support for cluster bombs in Ukraine… Will the war change with the introduction of ‘weapons of international controversy’?
Following the cluster bombs, dubbed the ‘devil’s weapon’, this time it was decided to provide Ukraine with depleted uranium bombs, dubbed ‘dirty bombs’.
■ Russian missile attack
Mikhail Podolyak, an aide to the Ukrainian President, said on the 6th that a Russian ballistic missile was launched towards Kiwu just a few hours before Minister Blincoln arrived in Kiwu, but was intercepted by Ukrainian air defenses. It was an intentional attack.”
In addition, Russia launched a missile attack on Kostiantinivka, a city in Donetsk province in eastern Ukraine, a few hours after Minister Blincoln arrived in Kiu that day.
The missile hit a market where merchants and residents were gathered, killing at least 17 civilians, including children, and injuring 32 others.
“Unfortunately, the number of casualties continues to rise,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, calling it a “deliberate attack on a peaceful city.”
President Zelensky released a video showing the situation at the time of the artillery bombardment with a roar and flames.
This is VOA News Jongsu Oh.
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2023-09-07 08:51:31
