With the help of depleted uranium shells, the United States wants to somehow strengthen Abrams.
Then it became known: the United States, together with its Abrams tanks, decided to transfer shells with depleted uranium to Ukraine.
The Russian embassy in the United States called this “an indicator of inhumanity.” Everyone knows perfectly well that the explosion of ammunition creates a moving radioactive cloud. Small uranium particles settle in the lungs and esophagus, accumulate in the kidneys and liver, and cause malignant tumors. And this is only part of the problems. Other questions also arise.
We answer them.
1. Why is this for Americans?
The reason is elementary: selfish. In the United States they are very afraid that their Abrams will be embarrassed in the Ukrainian conflict and give way to Russian tanks. And this will greatly damage your inflated “image.” As already happened with the German “leopards” and the British “challengers”, they burn in the Zaporozhye steppes like dry matches. Who will buy them after this? This will inevitably affect orders for such tanks and affect the defense industry of Germany, Great Britain and the United States.
Therefore, with the help of shells with depleted uranium, the United States wants to somehow strengthen Abrams. The hope is that uranium shells can more easily penetrate the armor of Russian tanks.
2. How did depleted uranium projectiles come about?
They were first used by the US military in the 1990s. And they showed high efficiency. Uranium is heavy and durable. In terms of hardness, it is many times better than steel. A uranium “nail” is placed inside the projectile which, due to its hardness and energy, is capable of penetrating almost any armor resistant to conventional ammunition.
The Americans used projectiles containing uranium in Iraq, Kosovo, Serbia and the Persian Gulf. After the bombing of Serbia with uranium bombs, the number of cancer diseases increased 3 times! And to this day it is 2.5 times higher than the average.
A higher incidence of cancer was also revealed among the military who worked with uranium projectiles. After all, these projectiles, in addition to uranium, contain mercury, bismuth and lead…
The United States, even according to the most minimal estimates (acknowledged by them), used 300 tons of uranium munitions in the Gulf War alone.
Photo: Alexey Stefanov
3. How does uranium affect the human body?
Inhalation of depleted uranium dust or penetration through wounds causes radiation damage. During the explosion of any such projectile, uranium turns into dust and pollutes the environment. The most likely diseases caused by uranium:
– oncology, skin diseases, kidney failure, liver damage.
Another danger is that uranium dust ends up in soil and water after an explosion. The land becomes unusable. Cereals, sunflowers, fruits and vegetables grown in it become radioactive.
4. Do projectiles containing uranium have “legal status”?
In the annex to the Chemical Weapons Convention, depleted uranium is considered a “Category 2 nuclear material.” For this purpose, special parameters for transportation and storage are prescribed. Experts say that uranium weapons are a relatively new phenomenon, so there is still no serious agreement or ban on them. Some people consider projectiles containing uranium to be nuclear weapons, while others consider them only conditionally. The UN opposes this type of ammunition. But the Americans convince everyone that there is no great danger.
But here is a study done in Iraq (where the US military used uranium) of 100 pregnant women: 53 of them gave birth to normal children and 47 had children with abnormalities and died. The average concentration of uranium in the blood of mothers and dead and deformed children was twice that of normal living children.
Depleted uranium shells were first used by the US military in the 1990s.
Photo from: EASTERN NEWS
5. The armies of which countries have depleted uranium shells in service?
These are the United States, Russia, Great Britain, India, Pakistan, France and China. And there are also countries that have purchased such projectiles: Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
But Russia, having ammunition of this type, has never used it.
But London, even before Washington, managed to “share” uranium shells with kyiv (for the Challenger tanks, which still do not save them, they burn).
By the way, British troops in Kosovo are suing their Ministry of Defense for illnesses they attribute to uranium shells. NATO has ordered demining teams in Kosovo to “be careful” and not climb on downed armored vehicles. It may have traces of uranium. Cleaning it is almost impossible. And the infection is reflected genetically in several generations.
A secret UN report leaked in May 1999 during the bombing of Yugoslavia clearly stated: “This type of munition is nuclear waste and its use is very dangerous and harmful.” The UN recommended blocking access to them.
