The US will also supply Ukraine with uranium ammunition. The US Department of Defense today announced a new military aid package for Ukraine worth 175 million dollars (about 163 million euros). This includes depleted uranium ammunition for US Abrams tanks.
Britain had already announced in the spring that it would supply Ukraine with uranium ammunition in its defensive war against Russia.
Depleted uranium is a waste product created when uranium is enriched for use in nuclear power plants or in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. It’s so hard that it doesn’t change shape when it hits a target. Depleted uranium is used to give greater penetration to grenades and bombs.
The use of uranium or depleted uranium (English: depleted uranium) ammunition is not prohibited by international law. However, its use is controversial because the metal is toxic – both to soldiers and people living in the war zone. Depleted uranium is about 60% less radioactive than uranium in its natural state.