MOSCOW: Russia on Thursday strongly reacted to the United States decision of providing depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine saying Washington to bear accountability for very sad consequences of its decision.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Pentagon had announced to provide Ukraine armor-piercing depleted uranium ammunition designed for Abrams tanks. In a parallel move, Britain had also dispatched similar munitions.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov pointed out that NATO’s extensive use of such ammunition during the 1999 bombing of Yugoslavia had been associated with an increase in cancer cases and other health issues. He told reporters that the same tragic consequences might unfold in Ukraine.
The utilization of depleted uranium munitions remains a subject of heated debate. The International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons contends that even exposure to depleted uranium dust through ingestion or inhalation can lead to cancer and birth defects.
However, a report by the United Nations Environment Programme, which assessed the impact of depleted uranium in Serbia and Montenegro (formerly part of Yugoslavia), did not find significant, widespread contamination.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, has stated that studies conducted in former Yugoslavia, Kuwait, Iraq, and Lebanon have indicated that the presence of dispersed depleted uranium remains in the environment does not pose a radiological risk.
