Depleted uranium supply to Kiev endangers entire generations: Russia
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The Russian Embassy in the US says the US administration's decision to supply Kiev with depleted uranium shells is an indicator of inhumanity.
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A US-made Abram tank (AFP)
The Russian Embassy in the US warned on Wednesday that the US administration's decision to deliver depleted uranium shells to Ukraine puts in danger entire generations.
"The administration's decision to supply Kiev with depleted uranium shells is an indicator of inhumanity," the Embassy considered in a statement.
It continued, "It is obvious that Washington, obsessed with the idea of inflicting a 'strategic defeat' on Russia, is ready to fight not only to the last Ukrainian but also to put an end to entire generations."
The Russian mission added that "the US is consciously going for the transfer of indiscriminate weapons."
"The rupture of a munition results in the formation of a moving radioactive cloud," the Embassy indicated, explaining that "small particles of uranium settle in the respiratory tract, lungs, esophagus, accumulate in the kidneys and liver, cause malignant tumors," resulting in the malfunction of internal organs.
The statement recalled that "thousands of civilians suffered from oncology" in Iraq and the Balkans due to the "uranium footprint" of the US.
The #UK has recently given #Ukraine depleted uranium ammunition to be used in the war against #Russia.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 30, 2023
So what is depleted uranium and why is it used?#DepletedUranium pic.twitter.com/ONZodzJtng
"By supplying the Ukrainian authorities with the said military products, the United States is engaged in self-deception while refusing to accept the failure of the so-called counter-offensive of the Ukrainian armed forces," the Embassy said, making it clear that "the course of the [Russian] special operation will not change," and the Russian military will continue to destroy the weapons delivered to Ukraine.
Elsewhere, the Russian Embassy in the US considered that by supplying depleted uranium shells to Ukraine, the US administration "exposes its true face: it is deeply indifferent to both the present of Ukraine and the future of the republic and its European neighbors."
On his part, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov described the deliveries of weapons with depleted uranium by the United States to Ukraine as a criminal act.
"This [supplies of weapons with depleted uranium] is not just an escalatory step, it is a reflection of Washington's outrageous disregard for the environmental consequences of using this kind of munitions in a war zone," Ryabkov told reporters in Bishkek on Thursday, adding that "in fact, this is a criminal act."
Earlier on Wednesday, the Pentagon announced a comprehensive security assistance package valued at up to $175 million for Ukraine, Reuters reported.
The package includes the provision of depleted uranium armor-piercing ammunition for Abrams tanks, marking the first time the United States has sent such controversial armor-piercing munitions to Kiev.
These ammunition rounds, renowned for their capability to neutralize armored targets, would constitute a crucial component of the impending military aid package destined for Ukraine.
Alongside the depleted uranium ammunition, the Pentagon's package includes a diverse array of military support, encompassing anti-armor systems, tactical air navigation systems, and additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).
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