Russia slams UK for sending depleted uranium shells to Ukraine, calls it ‘serious escalation’

Moscow on Wednesday (March 22) slammed the United Kingdom over the supply of depleted uranium ammunition to Ukrainian forces amid the ongoing war and also warned of prospects of "serious escalation" and added that Russia would be forced to respond accordingly.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had also criticised the move when, earlier in the week, Britain confirmed that it was supplying Ukraine with ammunition which contained depleted uranium.

It is understood that heavy metal is used in weapons because it can penetrate tanks and armour more easily due to its density, amongst other properties.

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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that UK's decision to supply depleted uranium shells may lead to a situation of new and "dangerous levels".

As translated by the news agency Reuters, Lavrov said, "There were statements of some western representatives, saying that there was nothing scary about it, that the depleted uranium shells were not banned, that they were not breaking any conventions but everybody remembers what results in the use of depleted uranium shells had in Yugoslavia or Iraq."

"When tens of thousands of civilians and NATO soldiers who used those depleted uranium shells were affected. There was a spike in oncological and other dangerous diseases. The soil was poisoned for decades," he added.

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However, UK's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said on Wednesday there was "no nuclear escalation" in the Ukraine war. Cleverly said, "The only country in the world that is talking about nuclear issues is Russia. There is no threat to Russia, this is purely about helping Ukraine defend itself."

At the launch of Britain's international technology strategy, Cleverly further noted: "It's worth making sure everyone understands that just because the word uranium is in the title of depleted uranium munitions, they are not nuclear munitions, they are purely conventional munitions."

(With inputs from agencies)

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately report this developing news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

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