VORONEZH, November 16. /TASS/. Shipping depleted uranium shells to Ukraine significantly increases radiation hazards, but Western political elites are unconcerned about the health of even their own people, Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev said during a meeting on security in the Central Federal District.

"Radiation dangers related to the use of depleted uranium ammunition by Ukrainian forces have increased significantly," he stated.

Patrushev pointed out that Russia has repeatedly warned everyone about the disastrous consequences of using depleted uranium ammunition, and has underscored that their use will harm people’s health and the environment for decades to come, both in Ukraine and in Europe.

"Our warnings have not been heeded. As a result of the destruction of depots with depleted uranium shells, shipped by the Anglo-Saxons - in order to prevent these shells from being used against Russia - the Europeans have been registering elevated radiation levels in their countries for several months," the official said.

He pointed out that, last week, the European Committee on Radiation Risk (ECRR) registered elevated uranium particle content in the air in southeastern England as a result of air masses coming from Western Ukraine.

"This colorfully indicates that political elites in Western states that ship weapons to the Ukrainian regime, are totally unconcerned about the safety and health of their own population," Patrushev concluded.