[Compilation of Chen Chengliang/Comprehensive Report] Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on March 25 that he will deploy tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus, which is located at the gate of Europe.

The British Ministry of Defense confirmed for the first time on the 25th that it has handed over a batch of "depleted uranium armor-piercing bombs" to the Ukrainian army for use in the "Challenger 2" main tank (Challenger 2 MBT) aided by the UK.

According to the announcement published on the website of the British Ministry of Defense, James Heappey, the Undersecretary of the British Ministry of Defense in charge of the Armed Forces, revealed the news in response to a written question from the Scottish Alba Party MP Kenny MacAskill. .

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Regarding how many "depleted uranium armor-piercing bombs" the UK has sent to Ukraine for use in the "Challenger 2" main tank, and how many have been used, McCaskill said: "We have delivered thousands of "Challenger 2" to Ukraine. "type" shells, including armor-piercing depleted uranium shells, for reasons of operational security we do not comment on the use of supplied ammunition by Ukraine."

The Russian embassy in London responded that "Britain will not be able to avoid responsibility for the consequences of the use of depleted uranium bombs in Ukraine, which were transferred to the Ukrainian armed forces."

The "Challenger 2" handed over to Ukraine by the United Kingdom is equipped with a 120mm L30 tank gun with a 55mm barrel.

Britain confirmed on the 20th that the matching ammunition contained depleted uranium (depleted uranium, also known as decayed uranium).

Due to the metal properties of depleted uranium, the metal shape will bend at the moment of hitting the armor, and the warhead will become sharper; the frictional heat will make the depleted uranium eject particles, which will spontaneously ignite when oxidized, and the destructive power to the tank is stronger than that of ordinary armor-piercing projectiles. higher.

Putin said Moscow would have to respond reciprocally due to the "nuclear component" of such weapons.

In response to Russia's use of "depleted uranium armor-piercing ammunition" for the "Challenger 2" main gun to make a big fuss, British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly emphasized that "depleted uranium armor-piercing ammunition" is purely conventional ammunition, but the word "uranium" is in the name. It is not a nuclear submunition, it is purely a conventional munition to assist Ukraine in self-defense.

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  • Russo-Ukrainian War

  • depleted uranium bomb

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