As part of its new $175 million military aid package announced on Wednesday, the Pentagon announced plans to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium shells, including 120mm depleted uranium tank ammunition for Abrams tanks.
"After supplies of cluster munitions, which are banned and condemned in most European countries, the US is sending Ukraine depleted uranium shells ... And the EU keeps silent. Constant double standard that enable us to justify everything ... Even what cannot be justified," Mariani posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Commenting on Pentagon's announcement, US National Security Council Strategic Communications Coordinator John Kirby said on Wednesday that depleted uranium rounds were neither radioactive nor carcinogenic.
"What is it: lies or silliness? [Scientists] have mentioned it multiple times and there are stand-alone articles saying that depleted uranium is toxic and dangerous for humans when it is in the form of radioactive dust, and the effect of radionuclide contamination of soils has also been brought up," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram.
The rate of cancer diagnoses increases in places where depleted uranium ammunition was used, she recalled. This was experienced by Italian soldiers who took part in the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, Zakharova added.