fact finder
A weapons depot containing uranium ammunition is said to have been hit during Russian attacks. A warning was then given of a radioactive cloud moving in the direction of western Europe. But there is no evidence for this.
“A radioactive cloud is on its way to Western Europe” – these are the words quoted by the relevant online media and Telegram channels by the Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev. That from Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution observed blog “PI-NEWS” reminded of Chernobyl because of the incident and wrote: “Now there is a new adversity.”
The reason for the numerous reports about an alleged radioactive cloud was a wave of Russian drone and rocket attacks in and around the western Ukrainian city of Khmelnytskyi. According to the mayor, critical infrastructure was hit and 21 people were injured. The Defense Ministry in Moscow announced that “significant stocks of weapons and ammunition” had been destroyed and that Ukrainian troop movements had been “slowed down”.
conflicting parties as a source
Information on the course of the war, shelling and casualties provided by official bodies of the Russian and Ukrainian conflict parties cannot be directly checked by an independent body in the current situation.
The articles in the relevant online media and social networks also refer to the Russian information. A Ukrainian arms depot containing “a large amount of depleted uranium ammunition” is said to have been hit near the city of Khmelnytskyi. This then led to the supposed radioactive cloud, which is now heading towards Western Europe. In addition, graphics are circulating on the Internet that are intended to prove the increase in radioactive radiation in the vicinity of Khmelnytskyi. But these are misleading.
“Values in the natural range”
At the request of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS). ARD fact finder that a single probe south of the town of Khmelnytskyi shows “minimally increased radioactivity values”, but these are “within the natural range of fluctuation”. In addition, they are so small “that radiological effects on people and the environment are excluded”.
Furthermore, according to the BfS, the slightly increased value was already measured on May 11, two days before the large-scale Russian attack on Khmelnytskyi. “In addition, the affected probe is in the opposite direction to the direction of propagation. Other probes in the direction of propagation are still unremarkable.”
According to the BfS, there could be many different reasons for the slight increase in the measured values of individual probes. “This also includes defects and technical errors, local events on site or knocking over the probe and the resulting slight measurement deviation.”
It is currently unclear whether any warehouse containing depleted uranium ammunition was hit at all by the Russian attacks. However, the BfS points out that this would only be “a regional event” anyway. “The transport of these radioactive substances to Germany on a scale that is hazardous to health is ruled out. Special protection in Germany is therefore not necessary.”
Depleted uranium has high density
Then depleted uranium is about 40 percent less radioactive than natural uranium. Depleted uranium is a heavy metal produced as a waste product when uranium is enriched for use in nuclear power plants. Due to its high density, depleted uranium also became the focus of weapons research in the second half of the 20th century.
“Building an armor-piercing weapon usually requires high-density material,” says Moritz Kütt from the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg. Since depleted uranium was relatively cheaply available as a waste product from nuclear weapons programs and civilian nuclear energy, some countries had started to use it for conventional weapons systems.
As a result, depleted uranium munitions, or DU munitions, became part of the military arsenal of many countries. It was used, among other things, by the USA in the Gulf wars and by NATO in the Kosovo war. Russia and Ukraine also have DU ammunition, says Ulf Steindl from the Austria Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES). “The Russian military has had DU ammunition since 1982, and Ukraine is now receiving it through the UK.”
However, there is currently no clear evidence of use by either side. “To date, there have not been any major tank battles in Ukraine, where intensive use of this ammunition in a relatively small area would be expected.” The use of DU ammunition is not prohibited under international law.
Radiation risk rather low
The experts rate the radiation risk from the use of DU ammunition as rather low. “Despite intensive investigations, there is no scientific evidence that the use of DU munitions in the wars in former Yugoslavia or Iraq caused radiation damage,” says Steindl. Although the depleted uranium can be detected in the environment, the radiation effect disappears in the natural background radiation.
The European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Health and Environmental Risks (SCHER) writes in a Document, “that there is no evidence of environmental or health risks from a potential spread of depleted uranium”. And further: “The radiation exposure from depleted uranium is very low compared to the naturally occurring radiation.” The federal government also refers in a Answer to a small request from the AfD to several studies according to which no significant radiation exposure of the population is to be expected from DU ammunition.
According to Kütt, this is because depleted uranium emits mostly alpha rays, which cannot penetrate human skin. Only when depleted uranium is physically ingested, for example by inhaling or swallowing, does it become dangerous. Theoretically, small fine dust particles could be produced by an explosion in a weapons storage facility. “However, this is in no way comparable to the radioactivity that is released in a nuclear explosion,” says Kütt. “There are significantly more and significantly radioactive substances that are then distributed.”
In addition, depleted uranium, like natural uranium, is not fissile, says Steindl. “Since there is also no impact on a target or other effects of friction, the generation of dust or splinters is very unlikely.”
Main chemical toxicity hazard
According to the experts, the greatest health risk associated with DU ammunition is its chemical toxicity – similar to other heavy metals such as lead or mercury. “Dietary intake of soluble uranium compounds leads to accumulation in the kidneys, and kidney damage is the most commonly documented consequence of uranium toxicity,” SCHER writes in the report. Natural uranium and depleted uranium would have the same toxicity.
According to the BfS, depending on the amount of uranium absorbed in the kidneys, there is a partial to complete failure of the function. “However, certain exposure values must be exceeded.” Chemotoxic effects of uranium on other organs only occur at much higher concentrations.
However, DU ammunition is not the only toxic warfare agent, says Kütt. “Most warfare agents have toxic effects.” The residues of ammunition, landmines or other explosive remnants of war can contaminate soil and groundwater with metals and toxins for decades – even without depleted uranium.
Russian disinformation?
According to Steindl, the fact that the Russian side was spreading the danger of a radioactive cloud can be classified as part of the wide range of Russian disinformation operations and information warfare: “Even before the second invasion of Ukraine in 2022, but all the more intensively afterwards, statements relating to nuclear Dangers actuated by the Russian leadership and other Russian sources.” Because reports about the use of nuclear weapons or nuclear accidents would have an increased impact on the Western public and often triggered irrational reactions.
According to Kütt, one problem is that the population often has misconceptions about radioactivity and the mechanisms involved. That leads to fear. “And fear is not a good advisor.”