Russia accuses Britain of ‘genocide’ by supplying depleted uranium tanks to Ukraine

Russia today accused Britain of unleashing ‘genocide’ by supplying Ukraine with depleted uranium tank shells.

Moscow stepped up its attack on London after Vladimir Putin said he “will have to respond appropriately, as the collective West will use weapons with a nuclear component”.

Britain accused the Russians of ‘deliberately trying to disinform’ about a ‘standard component and has nothing to do with nuclear weapons or abilities’.

The depleted uranium ammunition that Britain supplies Kiev with Challenger 2 main battle tanks – can cause severe radiation damage if it enters the body and has been linked to increased cancer and other illnesses in war zones.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova hit back at the UK, stating: “The use of depleted uranium ammunition is an expression of genocide against the population against whom it is used and the people who use it.”

They would cause radioactive damage to “anyone” living at the site where the depleted uranium tank shells were released, Zakharova said.

“They’re receiving it, and it’s not a one-time problem…they’ll live with this forever.”

This was a “scientifically proven fact” based on its use in the former Yugoslavia, she claimed.

“This is another British provocation, which aims to take the situation around Ukraine to a new round of aggression, conflict and confrontation, to give it a qualitatively different dimension,” Zakharova said.

Her boss, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, previously warned: “I am not surprised by anything [the British] have already lost their way in terms of actions that inflate strategic stability around the world.”

He added: ‘Anglo-Saxons, who are dragging the rest with them into the collective West… want to maintain their hegemony with all their might.

“If this is true, then they are willing not only to take risks, but also to violate international humanitarian law, as they did in Yugoslavia in 1999 and many other things… including war crimes and crimes against humanity.

“They have taken over this organization, the International Criminal Court [and use it] to destroy all conceivable norms of international law.

“If it actually happens, there’s no doubt it will end badly for them.”

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Putin viewed the “supply of depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine as a significant escalation to bolster intelligence operations aimed at deterring Western security aid to Ukraine.”

The US-based think tank said Russia “wants to place the responsibility for the negotiations on the West.”

The ISW stressed, “Such munitions cannot be used to produce nuclear or radiological weapons,” as the shells do not contain “fissile or radiological material.”

Despite this, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) still condemned the British decision to supply Kiev with depleted uranium tank shells. The group said it created “an additional environmental and health disaster for those who lived through the conflict” because of the possible inhalation of radioactive dust after the shell’s impact.

“CND has repeatedly called on the UK government to impose an immediate moratorium on the use of depleted uranium weapons and to fund long-term studies of their health and environmental effects,” said the group’s general secretary, Kate Hudson.

It came after the chilling message from Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu yesterday, in which he warned the world is just ‘steps’ away from nuclear disaster, after angering the UK’s decision to send depleted uranium tanks .

“Another step has been taken and there are fewer and fewer of them left,” Shoigu said. When asked if this meant the world was closer to a nuclear collision, he replied, “It was no coincidence that I told you about steps. There are fewer and fewer.’

Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded yesterday as he boiled over the UK’s decision to send machinery and ammunition to Kiev.

Russia “will be forced to respond” if the UK continues to deliver the 14 next-generation main battle tanks, Putin said yesterday after meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“The United Kingdom announced the delivery of not only tanks to Ukraine, but also depleted uranium grenades,” the despot said.

If this happens, Russia will be forced to respond accordingly, as the West is already collectively starting to use weapons with a nuclear component. It seems that the West indeed intends to fight Russia to the last Ukrainian,” he added.