Russia will Respond with its Own Depleted Uranium Shells if Ukraine Uses the Same: Putin

Russia has “hundreds of thousands” of depleted uranium (DU) shells and will respond  in kind if Ukraine receives DU shells for its tank guns from its Western allies, said Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"I must say that Russia, of course, has something to answer. Without exaggeration, we have hundreds of thousands of such (DU) shells. We have not used them yet," Putin said, answering questions in an interview on the Rossiya-24 TV channel Saturday.

He refuted the contention that shells with depleted uranium leave no trace and are harmless.

"This, of course, is not the case. The fact is that they do not belong to the category of weapons of mass destruction, this is true. But the cores of shells with depleted uranium - it is used for armor-piercing purposes, it stil generates the so-called radiation dust. And in this sense, of course, it belongs to the weapons of the most dangerous nature," Putin said.

Experts confirm, he continued, that after use in the former Yugoslavia (by Serb forces) and Iraq (by the U.S. Army), cancer disease in local citizens have multiplied.

"If we are talking about Ukraine, then those who will apply (use DU shells) should understand: do they consider those people who live in this territory to be their own? How will they use against people who are actually their own? I mean, the leftovers are going to dust up. In particular, they will pollute the agricultural areas," Putin said.

In this sense, the president stressed once again, such weapons can be attributed to the most harmful and dangerous to humans.

DU shells are used as tank rounds to pierce armor of enemy tanks and armored vehicles.