Britain crossing big redline by officially pledge to send weapon containing enriched uranium to Ukraine
British Deputy Defense Secretary Annabel Goldie pledged to transfer enriched uranium ammunition to Kiev.
“In addition to providing a squadron of combat Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, we will supply ammunition, including armor-piercing rounds containing enriched uranium,” Goldie said in a statement posted on the British Parliament’s website.
For his part, Russian military expert Konstantin Sivkov stated that the use of enriched uranium shells in the area of the Russian military operation in Ukraine threatens the health of civilians, as it contaminates the region and causes cancer to spread.
Depleted uranium is used in armor-piercing projectiles because of its high density and great damage that exceeds the barrier after armor penetration, and it was used for the first time in tank shells in Nazi Germany due to the lack of the denser tungsten.
The US military used enriched uranium bullets in the invasion of Iraq and in the bombing of Yugoslavia. The researcher at the Colorado School of Mines in the United States said that the US use of white phosphorous and enriched uranium in Iraq led to an increase in cancer cases in these places by 6 times.
These statements come after British Deputy Defense Secretary Annabel Goldie pledged to transfer enriched uranium ammunition to Kiev.
In response to these news, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened Tuesday to retaliate if London supplies Ukraine with ammunition containing depleted uranium, in response to comments made by a British official in this regard.
“We learned that the United Kingdom announced the delivery of not only tanks to Ukraine, but also shells containing depleted uranium… If this happens, Russia will be forced to respond,” Putin said.
Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu as saying on Tuesday that fewer steps were left before a possible nuclear clash between Russia and the West.
Shoigu’s warning came in response to media reports that Britain would supply ammunition containing depleted uranium to Ukraine, a move the defense minister said Moscow would respond.
