What Does the U.S. Sending Depleted Uranium Munitions to Ukraine Really Entail?

The United States announced an aid package for Ukraine on Sept. 6 that included ammunition made with depleted uranium for the first time. This development has raised concerns over the potential health and environmental effects of the material.

The munitions, specifically 120-millimeter anti-armor ammunition, are intended for use in the recently provided M1 Abrams tanks. Britain has also supplied Ukraine with ammunition made with depleted uranium.

While the Pentagon defends the use of this ammunition as assistance in Kyiv’s counteroffensive against Russian forces, experts argue that the health risks associated with depleted uranium outweigh the military benefits. Here’s what you need to know:

Ammunition made with depleted uranium can pierce armor.

Depleted uranium is a byproduct of uranium enrichment, the process used to create nuclear fuel. It is mildly radioactive but extremely dense, surpassing the density of steel and lead.

Although depleted uranium has civilian applications, such as in medical radiation shields and certain sailboat keels, its primary use is in armaments. It can be fashioned into thin, dart-like projectiles that penetrate heavily armored vehicles like tanks. The impact of these projectiles can ignite uranium dust, potentially causing fires on the target. The United States has deployed these munitions in previous conflicts, including the Persian Gulf War and the invasion of Iraq.

According to Gabriela Iveliz Rosa Hernández, a research associate at the Arms Control Association, the decision to provide Ukraine with depleted uranium ammunition reflects a larger trend of sending the country more advanced and controversial weaponry.

Lingering uranium dust can emit radiation.

Fired shells leave behind finely powdered uranium dust, which can contaminate soil. This dust emits alpha radiation, which poses no harm when outside the body but can cause radiation exposure if ingested or inhaled. Children and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to the health effects of this dust.

While the Pentagon disputes claims about the adverse health and environmental impacts of depleted uranium, citing studies from reputable organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, and the International Atomic Energy Agency, some experts like Doug Weir, the research and policy director at The Conflict and Environment Observatory, argue that more research is necessary to determine the long-term effects of these munitions.

Unlike cluster munitions, there is no international treaty banning weapons made with depleted uranium. However, opponents of these weapons argue that the potential postwar effects on civilians justify a ban.

Russia criticizes the use of depleted uranium weapons.

Dmitri S. Peskov, spokesman for President Vladimir V. Putin, condemned the U.S. decision to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium shells, calling it “very bad news.” The Russian Embassy in Washington also publicly criticized the transfer, branding it “a clear sign of inhumanity.”

While it remains unclear if Russia currently utilizes depleted uranium shells, a report from the state news agency Tass in 2018 mentioned that a modernized version of Russia’s main battle tank had the capability to fire them. The report quoted a Russian military expert, Viktor Murakhovsky, who stated that the shells were kept in special stockpiles rather than regular arsenals.