ISLAMABAD: Russia’s Ministry of Defense said on Friday that the use of depleted uranium shells in Ukraine would damage Ukrainian forces, and the wider population and negatively affect its agriculture sector for decades or even centuries.
Russia has reacted angrily to plans outlined by Britain earlier this week to provide shells containing depleted uranium to Ukraine.
London views these a conventional form of ammunition, but President Vladimir Putin said the step showed NATO members were providing weapons with a “nuclear component” to Ukraine, Arab News reported.
A senior defense official in Russia, Igor Kirillov, said that the West was well aware of the negative outcomes of using depleted uranium ammunition.
Shells used by US, allies
He said data on the use of such uranium by the US and its allies in Iraq and the Balkans showed serious and lasting severe impacts on local populations and the environment.
He added that Ukraine’s agricultural industry could be affected “for decades, if not centuries, into the future.
Critics of the use of depleted uranium, like the ICBUW (International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons), say the dust generated by such weapons can be breathed in, while shells that miss their target can poison soil and groundwater.
