The Russian Foreign Ministry has warned that the UK could take the war in Ukraine “to a new level” if it sends depleted uranium munitions to Ukrainians.
Russian diplomacy also regretted, this Wednesday in a statement, the fact that the United Kingdom apparently had forgotten “the terrible consequences of the use of such ammunition” in previous conflicts such as Iraq or Yugoslavia.
“Such a desire to increase the suffering of the civilian population and cause irreparable damage to the environment shows that the British are willing to neglect the inhabitants of Ukraine,” the Russian ministry said, scolding London for “its frivolity” over its commitment to recovery. of Ukrainian cities after the conflict.
“The behavior of the British side, so frank in its cynicism, shows once again who is the real aggressor and instigator of the conflict in Ukraine (…). London must not forget that it will have to take full responsibility for this”, underlined the Moscow authorities, warning the United Kingdom that the decision “will not be free of serious consequences”.
The British Foreign Minister, James Cleverly, ruled out, for his part, that there is a “nuclear escalation of the conflict” in Eastern Europe.
The UK Ministry of Defense confirmed on Tuesday that, together with a squadron of Challenger 2 main battle tanks, it would supply Ukraine with “munitions, including armor-piercing shells containing depleted uranium”.
Moscow has stated, however, that it classifies this type of weaponry as nuclear weapons.
By Tuesday, several senior Russian officials had already criticized the shipment of depleted uranium munitions to the Ukrainians.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that London’s plans to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium munitions would only bolster the Russian response, but Britons maintain the Russian government “meant to misinform” by saying the munitions with depleted uranium that it is going to send to Ukraine have a nuclear component.
A spokesman for the British Ministry stressed that “the British Army has used depleted uranium in its armor-piercing projectiles for decades” and pointed out that “it is a standard component and has nothing to do with nuclear weapons or capabilities”.
The announcement by the British authorities did not please the activists of the British organization Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament [Campanha pelo Desarmamento Nuclear]who today condemned the shipment of this type of ammunition to Ukraine.
Source: JN