"Many legal documents say that the use of nuclear weapons violates international law. The debate here is precisely whether depleted uranium shells are nuclear weapons or not," she specified.
"In my opinion, since depleted uranium is a byproduct of the enrichment of highly radioactive uranium, which is also used to make nuclear fuel, I believe it should be classified as a nuclear weapon," she added.
The use of these projectiles in the conflict could amount to war crimes, according to Kanety.
"In the cases of Yugoslavia and Iraq, where depleted uranium shells were used, it's been shown that they affect not only the health of the poulation, the civilians, whom they are used against, but also the armies that use them because of their high toxicity and radiation. This clarifies what the Russian foreign minister said when he warned of possible crimes against humanity."
The expert suggests that Britain's decision may be a reaction to Xi Jinping's visit to Moscow, during which the Chinese president expressed his solid support for Russia's special military operation in Ukraine.
"There are many pieces moving on the international chessboard, countries with significant nuclear capabilities are supporting one side or the other in the conflict. So this decision by Britain to send its Challenger tanks along with shells, on top of the German Leopard tanks and American Abrams tanks, unfortunately stokes the possibility of a confrontation between the nuclear powers," she warned.
For Kanety, this is yet another sign that the West's intentions with regard to Ukraine are not focused on peace, but on confrontation with Russia.
"Russia has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, and this decision could be a turning point in the conflict and a very serious mistake on the part of the West," she concluded.