BISHKEK, September 7. /TASS/. Washington supplying depleted uranium weapons to the Kiev regime is a criminal act that may trigger an escalation, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said at a regional seminar in Bishkek.
"My comment is clear: This does not simply qualify as a step toward escalation, but reflects the shocking disregard for environmental consequences of the use of such weapons in the combat zone on the part of Washington. <…> This, in effect, qualifies as a crime," the senior Russian diplomat said, taking a question from a TASS reporter.
According to Ryabkov, "hundreds of materials have been compiled and dozens of discussions have been conducted involving leading experts, environmental activists, medical doctors, and specialists in the chemical interactions in nature between minerals and living beings." "But the Americans don’t care at all" as long as such weapons are used outside of their jurisdiction, he concluded.
On Wednesday, the US Department of Defense announced additional security assistance worth $175 mln for Kiev. The latest package for the first time includes depleted uranium rounds for previously committed Abrams tanks. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a news briefing that the aid package also includes additional air defense equipment, artillery munitions, and anti-tank weapons. Abrams tanks will arrive on the Ukrainian battlefield soon, she specified.