MBABANE: Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow would be 'forced to react' should the United Kingdom(UK)send Ukraine armour-piercing depleted uranium shells,Aljazeera reported on Tuesday.
According to the report,Putin was reacting to news on Tuesday suggesting that the UK’s Minister of State for defence, Annabel Goldie had confirmed that ammunition containing depleted uranium was part of a military aid package being sent to Ukraine along with Challenger 2 battle tanks.
“The United Kingdom… announced not only the supply of tanks to Ukraine but also shells with depleted uranium.If this happens,Russia will be forced to react,Putin told reporters after talks with China’s leader Xi Jinping at the Kremlin.
The Russian President said it all this happened ,Russia will have to respond accordingly, he accused the West of collectively collectively beginning to use weapons with a nuclear component,”Putin said,without elaborating.
In response to questions about the ammunition,Goldie said on Monday that “alongside our granting of a squadron of Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine, we will be providing ammunition including armour-piercing rounds which contain depleted uranium”.
The ammunition was “highly effective in defeating modern tanks and armoured vehicles”,she said.
Depleted uranium is a by-product of the nuclear enriching process used to make nuclear fuel or nuclear weapons. Its heaviness lends itself for use in armour-piercing rounds as it helps them easily penetrate steel.
The United Nations Environment Programme has described such ammunition as “chemically and radiologically toxic heavy metal”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin with Chinese President Xi Jinping(pic: Reuters).