Iran Press/ America: Experts have warned that the use of depleted uranium (DU) could have highly detrimental effects on the health of Europeans and the fertility of the “black soil” region, especially following a massive explosion at a site in Khmelnytskyi, Ukraine, where DU rounds have been stored.
Following months of debate amid steep resistance to their plans, the Biden administration has finally confirmed it will send depleted uranium shells to Ukraine to be used against Russian forces.
The White House confirmed that a batch of DU shells would be sent to Kyiv as part of the military aid package worth $175 million.
The package also includes equipment for Ukraine's air defense systems, additional HIMARS munitions, TOW missiles, 155mm artillery shells, and Javelin and AT-4 anti-armor systems.
Addressing Washington's decision to send the dangerous shells to Kyiv, UN spokesman Farhan Haq told Sputnik it is a concerning development.
"Our concerns about the use of depleted uranium anywhere in the world has been consistent and still stands," Haq said.
The DU shells are intended to be used by US-made M1 Abrams main battle tanks due to their armor-piercing properties. Ukrainian forces are already using British DU rounds in the British-made Challenger 2 tanks with which they have been supplied, but Washington sending the rounds as well constitutes a further escalation, as Russian leaders have indicated.
DU is obtained from spent nuclear fuel already used by the reactors inside nuclear power plants, hence why it is called “depleted.” However, the dense material is not bereft of radiation, and after it is fired, it can poison the surrounding environment, with disastrous effects for soldiers, civilians, and wildlife alike.
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