Russia said on Thursday that the announced shipment to Ukraine by the US of depleted uranium ammunition for American Abrams tanks, the first of which should arrive this month in kyiv, it is a “criminal act” which leads to an escalation, according to Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Riabkov.
“This is, in fact, a criminal act, I cannot give any other assessment,” said the “number two” of Russian diplomacy on the sidelines of a conference on strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek. , according to the official agency TASS.
According to Riabkov, This announcement, made the day before by the Pentagon, not only represents “an escalation step, Rather, it is a reflection of Washington’s outrageous disregard for the environmental consequences of using this type of ammunition in a combat zone.”
The United States announced on Wednesday a new aid package for Ukraine valued at 175 million dollars. and that for the first time includes ammunition with
depleted uranium for Abrams tanks.
This 120-millimeter caliber ammunition is intended for Abrams tanks promised by the US to Ukraine last January.
🇺🇲🤝🏻🇺🇦 The United States will provide Ukraine with depleted uranium shells for Abrams tanks as part of a new military aid package. pic.twitter.com/j6OEsTJKcm
— The Political Room (@Political_Room) September 6, 2023
White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said the day before that the tanks would arrive “soon” in Ukraine. According to the American outlet Politico, the first ten tanks of the 31 M1 Abrams promised to Ukraine should arrive at their destination in the middle of this month.
According to the same source, some 200 Ukrainian soldiers have received training in handling these US tanks in Germany and have recently completed one of the last phases of the training program.
And it is that said ammunition is capable of perforating armored vehicles, but it is controversial due to the risk of chemical toxicity that it represents for the military and the civilian population.
The United States is deliberately transferring weapons with indiscriminate effects
Uranium is an extremely dense metal that does not deform when it comes into contact with its target and due to its penetrating ability it is used in projectiles and bombs.
Depleted uranium munitions are controversial because of their association with health problems such as cancer and birth defects in areas where they were used in past conflicts, although they have not been definitively proven to have caused such problems.
The United Kingdom had already announced several months ago its intention to supply munitions containing depleted uranium to Ukraine and the initiative was denounced by Moscow.
The US pledge of depleted uranium comes two months after Washington said it would supply Ukraine with cluster munitions. This type of ammunition is criticized by human rights groups for the danger posed by small unexploded bombs.
Russia holds the US responsible for what happens to the ammunition
The Russian embassy in Washington also reacted to the announcement, stating on Telegram that the US supply of depleted uranium tank ammunition to Ukraine “It’s a clear sign of inhumanity.”
“The United States is deliberately transferring weapons with indiscriminate effect. It is fully aware of the consequences: explosions of such munitions result in the formation of a moving radioactive cloud,” the embassy said.
“Washington, obsessed with the idea of inflicting a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia, is ready to fight not only to the last Ukrainian, but to put a cross on future generations,” the embassy continued.
The embassy stated that, in supplying the missiles, the United States was “profoundly indifferent to both the present of Ukraine as to the future of the republic and its European neighbors.” “The Russian army will continue to methodically crush the weapons sent” to Ukraine, he added.
The Kremlin spokesman, Dmitri Peskov, affirmed for his part on Thursday that the decision of the United States It is “very bad news” because of the consequences for the population of the territory in which it will be used.
He recalled that this type of ammunition was actively used in Yugoslavia with “very, very sad consequences, recorded even by international organizations.”
The spokesman indicated that the use of projectiles with depleted uranium led to a “galloping increase in oncological and other diseases.” “The consequences were felt by the descendants of those who were in the region where these weapons were used or were in contact with them,” he said.
It is an effective ammunition on the battlefield and does not pose a radioactive threat
Peskov stressed that all responsibility for the consequences of the use of depleted uranium ammunition “will fall entirely on the United States” and “everyone should be aware of it.”
But White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday that “many militaries use DU ammunition, not just the United States.”
“I would add that Russia too,” he said, later stressing that it is an “effective ammunition on the battlefield and does not pose a radioactive threat to people.”
*With AFP and EFE
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