US to Provide Depleted Uranium Tank Shells to Ukraine in Military Aid Package
The United States has announced to Provide Depleted Uranium Tank Shells a significant military aid package for Ukraine, including controversial depleted uranium tank shells, as part of over $1 billion in military and humanitarian support.
These US Depleted Uranium Tank Shells rounds, valued at $175 million, will be provided to Ukraine along with M1 Abrams tanks expected to be delivered later this year. The use of depleted uranium in tank shells provides enhanced armor-piercing capabilities due to its extreme density.
Depleted uranium is a by-product of uranium enrichment, stripped of most radioactive material. It cannot cause a nuclear reaction and is considered less radioactive than natural uranium, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
While the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation found no significant poisoning linked to depleted uranium exposure, a 2022 UN Environment Programme (UNEP) report expressed concerns about potential health effects arising from its use in Ukraine. The chemical toxicity of depleted uranium is considered a more significant issue than its radioactivity.
This decision marks a reversal of the US stance from March when the Pentagon stated it would not supply depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine.
Additionally, the US will provide anti-armor systems, tactical air navigation systems, and extra ammunition for Himars missiles as part of the aid package.
Russian officials have criticized this move, while the US frames it as supporting Ukraine’s defense efforts.
The decision was revealed during US diplomat Antony Blinken’s visit to Kyiv. It comes as Ukraine and Russia remain in conflict, with both sides claiming territorial gains and clashes ongoing in some regions.
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