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Recently, the British government's plan to supply depleted uranium armor-piercing ammunition to Ukraine has aroused widespread concern and questions in the international community. The decision caused tensions between Russia and the West, with the Russian side strongly opposing it as a serious provocation that could lead to serious consequences. The potential harm of the use of depleted uranium-piercing shells has raised concerns at the United Nations and international media. To understand the motivation behind this decision, we need to review a series of events, including the nature of weapons seizures, tank upgrades, and depleted uranium shells, as well as their possible impact on Ukraine and Russia.
In the current international situation, widespread concern has been raised by an initiative of the British government to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium-piercing shells. Behind this plan is a complex set of factors, involving weapons technology, geopolitical and environmental risks. This article will explore the motivations behind this decision and analyze its possible consequences.
First, we need to recall the seizure of weapons in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. In this conflict, both Russia and Ukraine received each other's military equipment, which triggered an in-depth study of these equipment. Of particular note is the capture of Russian T-90M tanks by Ukrainian troops on the battlefield.
The tank, which was sent to Western Ukraine, was closely watched by Western military experts and Ukrainian engineers.
The test results of the T-90M tank in Western countries aroused widespread interest. Although the test results were not disclosed, judging by the technical details, it seems that the armor of the T-90M tank has undergone a fundamental improvement. This makes traditional anti-tank weapons incapable of facing the T-90M.
To counter the T-90M tank, Western countries had to change tactics, abandoning the method of directly attacking the frontal armor of the tank in favor of more advanced "Stormer" anti-tank missiles.
At the same time, they also began to supply Ukraine with more powerful main battle tanks, such as the Challenger 2 and the M1A2 Abrams, to strengthen the armor of the Ukrainian army.
However, the British Challenger 2 main battle tank faced a problem, using rifled guns and unable to fire tail stabilized shell-piercing shells with extremely high muzzle velocity. Therefore, the basic penetration capabilities of such a tank are limited. The British military, recognizing that conventional armor-piercing shells could not effectively penetrate the front armor of the T-90M, decided to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium-piercing shells, a weapon with a "nuclear component".
There is another factor behind this decision. The British planned to replace the rifled guns of the "Challenger" 2 with the 120-mm L55 tank gun of German production, due to which a large amount of rifled gun ammunition would be eliminated. In order to save the cost of handling depleted uranium shells, the British supplied Ukraine with stocks of depleted uranium armor-piercing shells, which both helped to combat Russian tanks and supported the Ukrainian authorities, but also brought the problem of depleted uranium contamination to the territory of Ukraine.
However, the use of depleted uranium-piercing shells is not merely an effective tactical tool. Depleted uranium alloy materials have strong metallic properties and are commonly used to make tank armor or armor-piercing shells.
However, the use of such weapons releases radioactive material that poses a potential hazard to humans and the environment. Past experience in the United States has shown that depleted uranium munitions can cause cancer, leukemia and other health problems, which have a long incubation period.
If the radioactive material of uranium-238 in depleted uranium-piercing shells explodes or produces fragments during use, it will form aerosols and disperse to surrounding areas, posing a threat to the health of the local population. Therefore, the use of such weapons on the front lines of conflict is undoubtedly an act of "wounding the enemy by a thousand and self-harming by eight hundred", ignoring the importance of human health and the environment.
In the end, this decision of the British government provoked a strong resentment in Russia. The Russian side has said that this could lead to
The risk of a "poor nuclear conflict" between Russia and Ukraine has increased significantly. The importance of this issue lies in the fact that not only the United States and NATO countries have depleted uranium shells, but also Russian T-90M tanks have the ability to be equipped with depleted uranium armor-piercing shells. In fact, the Russian Vacuum-2 depleted uranium armor-piercing projectile equipped for the T-90M has shocking penetration, enough to penetrate the frontal armor of the Challenger 2 and Leopard 2 series main battle tanks at conventional engagement distances.
The root of the problem is that the potential harm from the use of depleted uranium-piercing shells is not limited to the battlefield. Depleted uranium pollutants form aerosols in the air, which are transmitted by the wind, causing long-term health and environmental effects on local populations. In Iraq, the use of depleted uranium-piercing shells has caused serious environmental damage in the area, and the health problems of the inhabitants have not been solved to this day.
Therefore, the use of depleted uranium-piercing munitions could trigger a crisis of depleted uranium contamination on Ukrainian territory, which would have an incalculable long-term impact on people's health and the natural environment. The issue has not only raised concerns in the international community, but also angered Russia and may have exacerbated regional tensions.
In conclusion, the British government's decision to supply depleted uranium-piercing ammunition to Ukraine has not only military and strategic considerations, but also involves environmental and human health risks. The decision has sparked widespread concern in the international community and angered Russia, potentially leading to a further escalation of regional tensions. This complex issue requires careful thinking by the international community to ensure that decisions do not cause irreparable harm to local populations and the environment. At the same time, it is also necessary to actively seek ways to resolve conflicts peacefully in order to maintain stability and peace in the region.
The above content and information are all from the Internet, and the author of this article does not intend to target or allude to any real country, political system, organization, race, individual.