Annabel MacNicoll Goldie, a member of the UK's House of Lords, confirmed on Monday that London would send armor-piercing rounds to Ukraine which contain depleted uranium. She said the shells were effective in fighting tanks and would be part of an arms batch that includes Challenger 2 main battle tanks.
"The UK government is sending depleted uranium shells for use in the Challenger 2 tanks gifted to Ukraine, a move CND has condemned as an additional environmental and health disaster for those living through the conflict," the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament said on Tuesday.
The use of depleted uranium can lead to serious health problems for people living in the affected area, including rise in the incidence rate of cancer, the CND noted, referring to past experience of nuclear weapons use.
"DU [depleted uranium] shells were used extensively by the US and British in Iraq in 1991 and 2003, as well as in the Balkans during the 1990s. It is thought that the extensive use of these shells is responsible for the sharp rise in the incidence rate of some cancers like breast cancer or lymphoma in the areas they were used. Other illnesses linked to DU include kidney failure, nervous system disorders, lung disease and reproductive problems," the organization said.
Depleted uranium is used in armor piercing projectiles due to its high density and significant damage it causes after armor penetration. Nazi Germany was the first country to use depleted uranium for its tank shells due to the lack of more dense wolfram.