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UPDATE: Three Portuguese Leopard 2A6 have also arrived in Ukraine
Ukrainian servicemen who are undergoing training by the British Royal Army are trained in the use of depleted uranium (DU) ammunition. This type of shells may be fired by the Challenger 2 tank equipped with an L30 120mm rifled tank gun.
Declassified UK noted that depleted uranium shells were seen on the official video shared by the British Ministry of Defence. The video showed British military instructors showing various types of ammunition for Challenger 2 tanks, including DU shells, to the members of the Ukrainian tank crews.
A DU projectile colored in orange and black colors was spotted on the table in front of the military instructors. The DU ammunition seen in the MoD documentary is marked “inert”, suggesting it could be a replica.
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Declassified UK cited a specialist engaged in research on the impact of armed conflicts on the environment:
Doug Weir from the Conflict and Environment Observatory said: “The orange and black munition in the video appears to be an inert display version of the UK’s 120mm CHARM3 DU ammunition.”
CHARM3 is a technical term for Britain’s stockpile of depleted uranium shells.
Weir added: “When DU munitions hit hard targets such as tanks or armoured vehicles, they fragment and burn, generating chemically toxic and radioactive DU particulate [microscopic particles] that poses an inhalational risk to people.
“Managing DU contamination appropriately will be a further burden for Ukraine, in a conflict that has already generated serious pollution problems.”
The very fact that Kiev is ready to use such ammunition speaks of the complete negligence of the Kiev regime to its own citizens, the environment, urban and rural infrastructure.
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The video shared by the UK Defence Ministry also revealed that the US military is involved in training of Ukrainian servicemen in the UK. In addition to British military specialists, the footage showed at least one US military instructor.
“The presence of a US soldier at the training session could escalate tensions further, after the White House denied sending its own depleted uranium stocks to Ukraine,” Declassified UK wrote.
Meanwhile, the United States claims that it does not transfer depleted uranium shells to the Kiev regime. It turns out that the claims from Washington are another lie and the US military is involved in the transfer of DU shells to the Kiev regime and in training Ukrainian militants to use them.
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On March 27, Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov claimed that British Challenger tanks, US Stryker and Cougar armored vehicles, German Marder infantry fighting vehicles have already entered service with the AFU.
He shared the video of him riding the Challenger tank:
At the same time, The Guardian reported with reference to the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom that Ukrainian tank crews have returned to their homeland after undergoing training in the UK. The training included instructions on command, control and teamwork, as well as on the effective identification and destruction of targets, the military department clarified.
In his turn, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed reports that the AFU had received 18 Leopard 2 battle tanks from Germany.
The foreign tanks are expected to take part in the upcoming Ukrainian offensive. According to various estimations it may begin in the middle or in the end of April.
