The Controversy Surrounding Depleted Uranium Munitions in Ukraine

The UK government has announced it will provide Ukraine with armour-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium, a byproduct of the uranium-enrichment process needed to create nuclear weapons. While depleted uranium ammunition is not considered nuclear weapons, their emission of low levels of radiation has led the International Atomic Energy Agency to warn of possible dangers of exposure. Russia has warned of a possible tragedy on a global scale that will primarily affect European countries if the UK provides Ukraine with the ammunition.