Explained: Depleted Uranium munitions being given by US to Ukraine are a health hazard

Russia is angry with the West after the US and Britain announced a controversial move to givedepleted uranium (DU) tank rounds to Ukraine. Moscow said Washington would be responsible for any negative lingering impact of the munitions' use.

Britain's announcement that it would provide such ammunition to Ukraine was denounced by Russia as a "serious" escalation of the war. The Pentagon, meanwhile,said it would provide Ukraine with the rounds as part of a $1 billion aid package.

Depleted uranium munitions are controversial because of their links to various health and environmental problems such as cancer and birth defects in areas where they were used.

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Such cases have been reported in past conflicts, but some reports say that it is not certain they have specifically caused such issues.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, "The use of these shells has resulted in a galloping increase in the number of cancer patients. The same situation will inevitably await those Ukrainian territories where they will be used. Responsibility will lie with the US."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that he would deploy depleted uranium ammunition if Ukraine received the arms.

What is depleted uranium?

Depleted uranium is more or less the same as natural uranium, however, it has a lower concentration of the fissile isotope U-235. It is about 60 per cent less radioactive than uranium in its natural state. DU is a byproduct of the uranium enrichment process used to produce fuel for nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons.

Uranium is a very dense metal, which is about 1.7 times denser than lead. It is so hard that when it hits a target, it does not change shape. As a result, depleted uranium is utilised in shells and bombs to increase their ability to punch through metal.

Is it even legal to be use depleted uranium as a weapon?

The usage of depleted uranium shells is not banned under international law. The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence said that the depleted uranium shells it is sending to Ukraine are not prohibited by any international agreement.

It said that under Article 36 of the First Protocol of 1977 Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, the UK's depleted uranium shells are "capable of being used lawfully in international armed conflict".

Who has used such weapons and when?

Many countries such as the United States and Russia have used depleted uranium munitions as part of their military arsenals. They were used in both the Gulf wars in 1991 and 2003 and in the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces, including the US military, used DU ammunition during the Bosnian War between 1994-1995. NATO forces also used them during the Kosovo War in 1999.

There are also reports suggesting that depleted uranium was extensively used during the Iraq War (2003-2011) by the US military.

An estimated 2,000 metric tonnes of DU were used in the conflict.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that it had used depleted uranium ammunition in Syria in strikes against the Islamic State radical group in 2015.

The Pentagon has acknowledged using depleted uranium ordnance twice in 2015 in raids against the Islamic State group in Syria.

The US military used DU ammunition in the Afghanistan War (2001-2021), but it is not clear to the extent it was used.

What are the health hazards of depleted uranium munitions?

Several experts have argued that the use of depleted uranium must be banned as it leads to serious health issues. Although depleted uranium is less radioactive than natural uranium, it is nevertheless a hazardous heavy metal that can cause health problems if inhaled or swallowed.

Some health experts have said that DU particles can stay in the body for years and can lead to health problems, including kidney damage, lung cancer, and birth defects.

Depleted uranium munitions have been identified as one of the likely reasons for health problems among Gulf War veterans, as well as a suspected cause of high levels of cancer and birth deformities in the Iraqi city of Fallujah.

However, the function of bombs in these issues has not been scientifically confirmed. Moreover, countries at the forefront of using such ammunition have repeatedly said that no proof has been found based on studies that establish a link between cancer and DU.

DU impacts the environment as well, because after striking the target, it releases uranium oxide dust and fragments into the air.

In the current scenario, one of the most crucial things to remember is the world's food crisis caused by the Russia-Ukraine war, which started on February 24, 2022. Ukraine is a major exporter of sunflower, maize, wheat, and barley to the rest of the world.

As the battle progresses, the radioactivity of DU dust particles will last for decades. As a result, the fertile land will be rendered useless in the future, causing food shortages and disrupting the global food supply chain.

(With inputs from agencies)

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