What’s so objectionable about Depleted Uranium Rounds? The US has used them for many years, hasn’t it?
Here’s an article that somewhat explains it.
Real nasty stuff.
I know a lot more about this that I can’t say here, but Canada is involved.
It seems like what radioactivity risks there are, will mostly be faced by the Ukrainians using the shells. And in DC or London, they certainly don't care about that.
I suspect the Russians are most upset because depleted uranium will be more lethal to their armor.
“The US has used them for many years, hasn’t it?”
The US is exceptional and only uses depleted uranium for humanitarian purposes, like it does with atomic bombs.
“It’s worth it.”
Nothing really. The civilian use cases for depleted uranium are well known.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depleted_uranium#Civilian_applications
It’s used in dental porcelain for example. I have a mouth full of veneers and bridgework so I’ve probably got depleted uranium in my mouth all the time.
(Hey, I’m a Brit. I could’ve stuck with shocking Brit teeth and not bothered, but I chose the American Scary Bleach White Smile look. We call that “Hobson’s Choice.”)
And of course it was used in Boeing 747-100 construction.
Russia really is just trolling with this one - Depleted Uranium rounds on the battlefield (which lest we forget is a response to Russia creating a battlezone in east Ukraine - this wasn’t an issue before Feb 22) is less harmful to the environment and far less nasty than the magnesium alloy ML-5, and 9M22S rockets with thermite incendiary submunitions.
The proving grounds on American soil that were used to exercise with these weapons, are considered too toxic to be worth clean up.
The EPA even stopped testing some of them. Yet we dumped tons of these weapons on Iraq and poisoned soil, maybe water, permanently.
Cancer rates are high in Iraq and Serbia where these weapons were used.
But those are poor peasants in far away countries.
Actual health studies have been slow-rolled or half-assed
UN and International arms control agencies publish mealy mouth studies and promise to review the data, once in a while.
Because the US military finds these weapons to be effective.
If London thinks these weapons pose no health threat, how would they respond to them being used on British towns. Because that’s what the Ukes target. Towns and villages.
They DID, now the component of the 120mm “ dart” AT round uses “ Staballoy”.
Using DU rounds effectively “salts” the ground, making it unihabitable. Vaporized DU on the soil causes hideous birth defects, and its destructive power is blown across miles.
Much like the Roman army did to undesirable conquered lands, salting the fields insured they become Uninhabitable.
This tells me the Ukies have no intention of regaining any areas where DU munitions will be used…..primarily the ethnic Russian provinces. They lost the Donbass and know it.
Much like Iraq and Afghanistan where DU munitions were used, the ground is poisoned, birth defects and lung cancers.
The only bright spot is sitting on the DU rounds during transport/ storage…it causes rectal cancer, ask the Italian Army….and our VA.
“The US has used them for many years, hasn’t it?”
That makes it honorable?
They self sharpen as they enter the armor, not mushroom like other metals. That comes from the Spall. They can penetrate a shitload of steel.
Putin hasn’t met A 10’s yet.
DU in firearms projectiles is actually a real environmental pollutant and hazard to human health that remains in the area where used.
The US has used them for many years, hasn’t it?
Yes, because the rules don't apply to us.
Because they will cut through the armor of their T-54 tanks. Putin wants us to use WWII bazookas to keep it fair.
It’s not as if those rounds will be used on Russian soil, so
whatever Putin thinks about it, really is silly.
Those rounds are hardened and can penetrate tanks. If you
don’t want your tanks to be destroyed, keep them in the
museums.
Putin invaded and is now chagrined that the Ukraine and it’s
allies are actually fighting back. Isn’t that kind of a
fundamental fact about war. People fight back, trying to
win or turn the tide?
How did such an amazing military strategist miss this in
Bullying Your Neighbors 101?