The secretary of the Russian Security Council, Nikolay Patrushev, has claimed that the destruction of depleted uranium shells in Ukraine has produced a radioactive cloud that has been blown toward Western Europe. The claims that the explosion created spreading radiation were quickly dismissed by mainstream media and The IAEA (The International Atomic Energy Agency).
Unconfirmed reports have circulated in Ukraine regarding the target of a Russian strike last Saturday, which Moscow said destroyed an ammunition depot in the city of Khmelnytskyi. According to the claims, the military facility was used to store British-provided depleted uranium shells. It has been suggested that the material may have been turned into dust by powerful explosions at the depot.
The claims that radiation is spreading have already been dismissed as false by the IAEA (The International Atomic Energy Agency). Additional concerns about the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities, including the Zaporizhzhia power plant currently under Russian control, as well as Moscow’s nuclear saber-rattling, have fueled fears of escalation throughout the 14-month Russia-Ukraine war. –SHTFPlan
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Patrushev also revealed the purported threat during a government meeting on Friday, in which he accused the United States of providing “help” to other nations that result in harm being done to the recipients, according to a report by RT. “They ‘helped’ Ukraine this way too, applied pressure to its satellites to supply depleted uranium munitions. Their destruction resulted in a radioactive cloud moving toward Western Europe. They have detected an increase in radiation in Poland,” Patrushev stated.
Polish authorities have denied claims that a spike in radiation was detected in the eastern city of Lublin on Monday. But radiation is only one of the concerns when it comes to depleted uranium.
While it is mildly radioactive, depleted uranium is mainly considered a health risk because the material is a toxic heavy metal. Particles of uranium or uranium oxide produced in an explosion could be inhaled by anyone exposed to them, or contaminate the environment.
The United Kingdom has supplied Ukraine with this type of munition and it is designed to be fired from British Challenger Tanks.
Russia previously warned that the use of depleted uranium munitions poses a long-term environmental and public health threat, based on studies in nations such as Serbia and Iraq, where the weapons were previously used. London has denied such a risk.