Russian Foreign Minister: The UK supplying depleted uranium ammunition to Kyiv is an escalation.

Uranium. Photo: AP

Speaking at a press conference following talks with his Eritrean counterpart, Foreign Minister Lavrov emphasized: "The use of depleted uranium ammunition will significantly reduce, or even eliminate, Ukraine's ability to produce high-quality, uncontaminated food."

For his part, the Chairman of the Russian State Duma (Lower House of Parliament), Vyacheslav Volodin, warned that the UK's decision to supply depleted uranium ammunition to Kyiv was part of a dangerous trend that could turn the Ukraine conflict into a threat to all of Europe.

Posting on social media, Volodin stated: "The war to the last Ukrainian could become the war to the last European." The politician argued that Kyiv's acquisition of depleted uranium ammunition, which could contaminate the battlefield and pose health risks to future generations, could be a stepping stone to more dangerous weapons. According to Volodin, the next step "could be the Kyiv authorities using dirty bombs or deploying tactical nuclear weapons."

According to Domenico Leggiero, President of the Italian Association of Victims of Depleted Uranium, the UK's plan to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium ammunition risks turning the conflict zone into a deadly, uninhabitable area due to devastating consequences for the population and territory. "Until the very last moment, I still hope that this is fake news. This news is too devastating for two reasons: firstly, it makes no sense from a tactical standpoint. This type of ammunition is meaningless under these conditions. If the UK wanted to help Ukraine, they could have provided defensive weapons, while this uranium ammunition, in every sense, is an offensive weapon with long-term effects and devastating consequences for the territory and its inhabitants." "Secondly, I must say that in all conflicts, this type of ammunition has only been used by one side, and I don't want to name names, because I live in Italy. And Russia has never allowed itself to do this. Because it is not a conventional weapon, such ammunition could lead to the Russian side using new weapons, in which case such a response would be legitimate," expert Leggiero commented.

According to him, Britain's intentions may be linked to the fact that the Kingdom is located on an island and a "calm" attitude towards future consequences. In Italy, he added, due to participation in campaigns in the Balkans and Iraq, 500 people became victims of depleted uranium use and 8,000 others were injured. "It was a wrong, irrational, and stupid decision. Uranium contamination turned the area into uninhabitable wasteland for a long time. Using such shells, according to British logic, could prevent residents from returning to the land, indirectly turning it into neutral territory. Behind that was crime, not a strategic plan," concluded expert Leggiero, author of the book "Uranus: A History of Impoverished Italy."