United States to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium ammunition

(Patria) - The United States will provide Ukraine with depleted uranium tank ammunition as part of military and humanitarian aid worth more than a billion dollars announced by Washington on Wednesday, AFP reported.

The 120 mm caliber shells, included in $175 million worth of military equipment for Kyiv to be drawn from U.S. stocks, are intended for M1 Abrams tanks, which are expected to be delivered to Ukraine before the end of the year.

Depleted uranium ammunition is controversial due to its association with health problems such as cancer and birth defects in areas where it has been used in past conflicts, although it has not been definitively proven to have caused such problems.

The density of depleted uranium, a byproduct of the nuclear enrichment process, helps the projectiles containing it penetrate heavy armor, making it ideal for use in ammunition designed to engage tanks. Depleted uranium ammunition is part of the military arsenals of many countries, including the United States and Russia, and its use is not prohibited by international law.

The United Kingdom said earlier this year that it would provide Kyiv with anti-tank ammunition containing depleted uranium, after which Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to start using it in Ukraine.

The U.S. promise of depleted uranium ammunition comes about two months after Washington said it would provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, a controversial decision that has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups due to the danger of unexploded bomblets.

The $175 million military aid package for Ukraine also includes anti-tank missiles, artillery and mortar rounds, small arms ammunition, and demolition and obstacle-clearing munitions, the Pentagon said in a statement.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a visit to Kyiv on Wednesday that Washington would "maximize" efforts to support Ukraine. He announced hundreds of millions of dollars in new aid.

This includes $100 million in Foreign Military Financing, $90.5 million for demining assistance, $300 million for law enforcement support in areas retaken from Russia, $206 million in humanitarian assistance, and $203 million for reform efforts and war crimes investigations.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told Blinken that Washington's support "is not charity," saying, "Today, thanks to our partners, Ukraine is containing Russia's aggression."

Washington has pledged more than $43 billion in military aid to Kyiv since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. The West is training Ukrainian troops and has imposed harsh sanctions on Russia.