Russia considers supplies of depleted uranium shells to Ukraine as “a criminal act”

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov has said that supplying Ukraine with depleted uranium shells is a criminal act.

The diplomat emphasized that this is not just an escalatory step, but also an outrageous disregard of the environmental consequences by the US authorities, Gazeta.ru reports.

Ryabkov noted that experts have repeatedly written that depleted uranium shells can cause irreparable damage to the environment.

"The Americans don't care about anything. It is clear that it will not be used on their territory. It is clear that they don't care...," the Russian deputy foreign minister expressed his opinion.

Ryabkov called the U.S. actions a criminal act. According to him, all this demonstrates how cynical is the attitude that currently determines the policy of the U.S. state on the Eurasian continent.

The Pentagon on September 6 announced a new security assistance package worth up to $175 million for Ukraine, including depleted uranium ammunition for Abrams tanks, the first time the U.S. is sending the controversial armour-piercing munitions to Kyiv.

Reuters was first to report last week that the rounds, which could help destroy Russian tanks, would form part of a new military aid package for Ukraine, which Russian forces invaded in February 2022.

On September 6, the Pentagon said the military aid would also include anti-armor systems, tactical air navigation systems and additional ammunition for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS).

The announcement coincides with top U.S. diplomat Antony Blinken's visit to Kyiv in a gesture of support as a Ukraine counteroffensive against occupying Russian troops grinds into its fourth month with only small gains.

The $175 million was part of a total of more than $1 billion in assistance that Blinken announced in the Ukrainian capital.

It also included over $665 million in new military and civilian security assistance and millions of dollars in support for Ukraine's air defences and other areas.

Although Britain sent depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine earlier this year, this would be the first U.S. shipment of the ammunition and will likely stir controversy.

The Russian embassy in Washington denounced the decision as "an indicator of inhumanity", adding that "the United States is deluding itself by refusing to accept the failure of the Ukrainian military's so-called counteroffensive."

Blinken on September 6 hailed progress in the pushback and said of the fresh U.S. package of support: "This new assistance will help sustain it and build further momentum."

Washington previously announced it would send cluster munitions to Ukraine, despite concerns over the dangers such weapons pose to civilians.

The use of depleted uranium munitions has been fiercely debated, with opponents like the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons saying there are dangerous health risks from ingesting or inhaling depleted uranium dust, including cancers and birth defects.