The United States has announced it will send controversial weapons to Ukraine as part of over $1 billion in military and humanitarian aid. The move includes equipping US Abrams tanks with shells made of depleted uranium, which are strong enough to pierce conventional tank armor. Depleted uranium shells are considered considerably less radioactive than natural uranium and are favored for their extreme density and armor-piercing ability. Russia has condemned this decision.
This announcement was made during the visit of top US diplomat Antony Blinken to Kyiv, and it elicited an angry response from Russia. The 120mm uranium tank rounds, part of $175 million in US military equipment for Ukraine, will be used for M1 Abrams tanks set to be delivered later in the year.
Depleted uranium, a by-product of uranium enrichment stripped of most radioactive material, can be used to reinforce tank armor but is particularly favored for its effectiveness in armor-piercing munitions. These shells sharpen on impact and ignite after contact.
The US decision to send depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine marks a U-turn from March when the Pentagon initially stated it would not provide such weapons. The rationale behind this decision is that they are believed to be the most effective munitions for arming Abrams tanks in Ukraine.
While the UN Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation has found no significant poisoning caused by exposure to depleted uranium, the International Atomic Energy Agency has noted a potential risk of radiation to individuals who handle fragments of depleted uranium rounds.
In response to this development, the Russian embassy in Washington denounced the decision, calling it “an indicator of inhumanity” and accusing the US of refusing to accept the failure of Ukraine’s military counter-offensive. Ukraine’s territorial gains during the counter-offensive have been limited since June, but Ukrainian generals claim to have breached Russia’s first line of defenses in the south.
