Critical uranium

Russia believes that the supply of ammunition to Ukraine with a depleted Uranus is a step towards a nuclear war. In fact, this is not so, and Russia itself can use such ammunition

Great Britain will provide Ukraine with ammunition with impoverished uranium. Putin had already promised to react, calling these shells "weapons with a nuclear component." The New European Europe is understanding what such weapons are actually represented and whether Russia can answer them with something.

"Until the last Ukrainian?"

The authorities of Great Britain plan to transfer to Ukraine shells with depleted uranium. This is stated in a written answer to the deputy head of the English Ministry of Defense Annabel Goldi for a request from a member of the House of Lords Reimond Jolliff. “Along with the provision of Ukraine of the main combat tanks of Challenger-2, we will supply ammunition, including armor-piercing shells containing impoverished uranium,” this document says. “Such shells have high efficiency in damage to modern tanks and armored vehicles.”

Vladimir Putin quickly answered this news with a loud statement. “It seems that the West really decided to fight with Russia to the last Ukrainian not in words, but in practice,” said the President of the Russian Federation. - But in this regard, in this regard, it would be noted that if all this happens, then Russia will be forced to react accordingly. I mean that the collective West begins to use weapons with a nuclear component. ”

He was joined by Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu, who claims that Russia has something to respond to such deliveries. “There can be only one thing here: not so many steps, another step has been passed, there are less and fewer they are left,” said Shoigu. “We must think well about each subsequent step.”

“The reaction of Vladimir Putin is not very understandable,” the military observer of the Russian BBC service Pavel Aksenov tells “New-Europe”. - After all, the impoverished uranium is not only not dangerous with radioactive material, but, being a very dense substance, is used in industry to protect against radiation. The impoverished uranium poses a threat to its toxicity. With the destruction of the core of the sub -caliber armor -piercing projectile, this element can enter the body of the military and harm health. But taking into account the fact that such ammunitions are used to destroy armored vehicles, the crew of the tank or armored vehicle they have pushed will have many other troubles, except for possible poisoning. ”

“The sub-caliber armor-piercing ammunition with the depleted Uranus is most likely to be delivered in a close connection with the British Challenger-2 British tank,” says Israeli military expert David Sharp. “It is no longer suitable for any guns.”

According to Pavel Aksenov, the sub -caliber shell contains a rod from heavy and very solid material, for example, depleted uranium. After leaving the gun’s trunk, the shell shell is opened, and then the core flies already a narrow, similar to an arrow. When it enters the armor, large kinetic energy is released, due to which it destroys it and as a result breaks. In addition, such shells moving at a huge speed cannot resist either dynamic or active protection.

Einstein's formula

Subject shells were used during the Second World War. In the 80s of the last century, developers from many countries had the idea to use the impoverished uranium in the manufacture of such ammunition. It can be replaced with tungsten, but the price of this metal is higher. At the same time, impoverished uranium is a by -product of the enrichment of uranium in the nuclear industry. Only countries with appropriate technologies can create it.

The Russian expert in the field of weapons agrees with this, who agreed to express his opinion on the conditions of anonymity to “New-Europe”. ““ Nuclear component ”is complete game,” our interlocutor explains. - When they talk about nuclear ammunition, then this refers to the type of damaging action. Due to the explosion of atomic weapons due to the division of nuclei, thermal and radioactive radiation is released, and a powerful shock wave occurs. Such armor -piercing subcaliber ammunition with uranium cores are ordinary conventional shells, the damaging effect of which occurs due to the kinetic effects of the core on the armor. That is, due to the banal power of the blow. At the same time, no nuclear decay processes occur. Here the famous Einstein energy formula acts. ”

According to the source, in order to make a shell heavier, materials with a greater density of the substance are used. Usually this is just tungsten or impoverished uranium, since they are approximately equal in density and mass.

But tungsten is complicated in processing and very expensive. And the impoverished uranium is the waste remaining after the enrichment of the ore, that is, the material is relatively cheap. Americans make shells from it even for small -caliber automatic guns, and not just tank. He does not give any radioactive infection; it is impossible to obtain components from it to create real nuclear weapons.

“Of course, such shells are extremely harmful to those at whom they are shot,” adds David Sharp. -But not due to radioactivity or toxicity, but simply due to the damaging effect. Speaking about the dangers for the human body, it must be borne in mind that many components used in weapons and ammunition are poison. Even a spilled diesel fuel can be dangerous for nature. In the USA and the UK, they are very sensitive to protecting the ecology and health of the civilian population. Numerous studies conducted on this subject from the 80s of the last century would have long identified all possible threats. Military personnel would have sucked the Pentagon for a long time. ”

And Russia also has

“Putin is either an ignoramus himself, or is simply trying to intimidate the illiterate people,” says the Russian expert. - The Russian Federation has enough of such shells, and it is not the fact that they are no longer used in Ukraine. In the USA, after the “storm” in the desert “and then, after the second Iraqi company, the press flared up hysteria about the radioactive infection of the terrain from such ammunition. This story was inflated by veterans who wanted such an extortion to squeeze out money from the government. But no more or less serious evidence was presented. Although there were articles and some "expert" conclusions, they all had an engaged in nature. "

Russian expert explains that

ABRAMS tanks are placed as armor from depleted uranium. Some former military said that when hits from these plates, microparticles bounced off, forming dust, which fell into the lungs and hit the crew.

The same is affirmed in relation to the shells: they supposedly crumble during penetration, and their dust is in the air, which are breathed not only by enemy soldiers, but also by the Americans. However, the researchers quickly clarified that the depleted uranium in the shells or in the armor does not pose any threat and is not any nuclear component.

“As far as I know, until December 2022, the UN was studying the threat emanating from ammunition with the depleted uranium, and did not come to any conclusions,” says Pavel Aksyonov. - Such shells are used on only the United States and Great Britain, but also many other countries. In the USSR, and then in Russia, their development and production were carried out. I have not heard about the use of such shells in Ukraine, but the fact that such a weapon is in service with the army of the Russian Federation can be said confidently.

Shells with an opera core of uranium alloy are called “lead-1”. This is the latest development of the Russian military -industrial complex for the most modern models of tank guns. ” According to David Sharp, even in Soviet times, a whole line of such ammunition was adopted into service.

In addition to shells with depleted uranium, Russian troops have a large nomenclature of anti -tank weapons. These are, as a rule, cumulative ammunition used by both tanks and various anti -tank weapons, such as installations of ATGM or grenade launchers.

Tanks with tanks do not fight

Regarding the shells supplied by Ukraine, Pavel Aksenov notes that the Challenger-2 tank has a rifled gun producing shells with a smaller speed than that of smoothbore tank guns. Subject shells with uranium core are an extremely effective anti -tank weapon. Therefore, it is precisely the use of shells with depleted uranium that can have a critical importance for English combat vehicles in duels with enemy armored vehicles. At the same time, the BBC observer does not exclude that the supplied Abrams and Leopard tanks with identical tools will also be provided with impoverished uranium shells. Then, for Russian troops, the main problem will be not toxic or radioactive properties of such ammunition, but its high armor penetration. Simply put, with the help of the new ammunition, it will be easier for Ukrainians to destroy Russian tanks at a great distance.

At the same time, Pavel Aksenov explains that in the modern war, tanks are very rarely fighting with tanks. Therefore, in the ammunition of combat vehicles, it is of sub -caliber ammunition, as a rule, there are very few. So calling such shells “universal miracle-armed forces”, according to the journalist, is not worth it.