The United States will send depleted uranium ammunition to Ukraine to use against tanks and armored vehicles. The announcement was made by the Pentagon on Wednesday (6), the same day that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pays a visit to Kiev. Washington’s representative will spend the night in Ukraine.
RFI
The 120 mm ammunition will be used in American Abrams battle tanks, promised to Kiev in a new military aid package worth $175 million.
This is the first time that the United States has admitted supplying Ukraine with ammunition of this type, capable of piercing vehicle armor, but with toxic risks for soldiers and civilians.
A few months ago, the United Kingdom announced its intention to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium ammunition, a decision denounced by Moscow.
Extremely dense, uranium is a metal that does not deform when it comes into contact with its target, increasing the effectiveness of projectiles.
The American announcement was made on the same day that the head of US diplomacy, Antony Blinken, met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a surprise visit to Kiev.
The meeting is a demonstration of the United States’ “unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russian aggression,” says the US State Department.
This is Blinken’s fourth visit to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in February 2022.
“Impressive progress”
In Kiev, Blinken visited a cemetery to lay flowers in memory of the Ukrainian soldiers killed in the battle.
During a speech to the press, Blinken said that Washington will continue its “efforts” to ensure that the Ukrainians have what they need for this phase of the battle.
Blinken said that the progress of Ukrainian troops is very “promising”. “We see very clearly the important progress that is currently being made in the counter-offensive,” said the Secretary of State.
In June, Kiev began its attack in the south and east of the country, where Russian troops occupy almost 20% of Ukrainian territory. The advance has been slow and complicated in the face of mined territory and intense resistance from Russian soldiers.
“The Ukrainian forces have made impressive advances in the south in particular, but also in the east in recent days and weeks. But I think the most important thing is that we get a real assessment from the Ukrainians themselves,” a US State Department source told AFP.
During the meeting with Blinken, Volodymyr Zelensky thanked them for their support at this time and in the coming months. “A difficult winter awaits us. But we are happy that we are not alone in facing it. We will stand by our partners,” said the Ukrainian, thanking the US for its help in the energy sector.
During his train journey to Kiev, Blinken met Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who gave a speech in the Ukrainian parliament in the morning. The American thanked Denmark for its help, which two weeks ago announced the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine.
Since the beginning of the conflict in February 2022, the United States has led an international coalition in support of Ukraine. So far, the country has pledged $43 billion in military aid.
The Kremlin accused the United States of “keeping Ukraine in a state of war” and assured that its assistance could not “influence the outcome of the special military operation”, a euphemism used in Russia to refer to the invasion.
Russian attack on market leaves 17 dead
On Wednesday, Russian shelling on a crowded market caused 17 deaths in Kostiantynivka, a town in eastern Ukraine.
“Russian terrorist artillery killed 17 people in the town of Kostiantynivka in the Donetsk region,” wrote the Ukrainian president, citing that in addition to a market, stores and a pharmacy were hit. “Unfortunately, the number of dead and wounded could rise,” Zelensky stressed.
Earlier in the day, Ukrainian air defense neutralized a missile attack on the capital, Kiev. The debris from the missiles caused a fire in a supermarket, leaving no casualties, according to the authorities.
In addition to this attack on Kiev, Russia attacked the Odessa region (south), near the border with Romania, with drones during the night and one person died.
(With information from AFP)