Russia threatened to escalate its attacks in Ukraine after the UK government declared that it would supply Ukraine with a type of munition. That Moscow falsely claims contains nuclear components. The UK defense ministry on Monday confirmed it would provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium. Such rounds were developed by the U.S. during the Cold War to destroy Soviet tanks. Including the same T-72 tanks that Ukraine now faces in its push to break through a stalemate in the east.
Depleted uranium is a byproduct of the uranium enrichment process needed to create nuclear weapons. The rounds retain some radioactive properties, but they can’t generate a nuclear reaction like a nuclear weapon.
That didn’t stop the Russians from offering a full-throated warning that the rounds were opening the door to further escalation. In the past, they have suggested the war could escalate to nuclear weapons use.
Both the the British ministry and the White House dismissed the Russian accusations. But the ammunition does carry risks even if it’s not a nuclear weapon.
WHAT IS DEPLETED URANIUM?
Depleted uranium is produced as a byproduct of the procedure used to produce the rarer, enriched uranium used in nuclear fuel and weapons. Although far less powerful than enriched uranium and incapable of causing a nuclear reaction, depleted uranium is extremely dense — more dense than lead — which makes it an appealing projectile material.
When fired, a depleted uranium munition becomes “essentially an exotic metal dart fired at an extraordinarily high speed.
Russia Response
President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday warned that Moscow would “respond accordingly, given that the collective West is starting to use weapons with a ‘nuclear component.’”
The British “have lost their bearings,” said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Warning that the munitions are “a step toward accelerating escalation.”
