Speaking of Depleted Uranium, UK is sending DU ammo to Ukraine for use in the NATO tanks. Russia had previously threatened to use nukes if NATO sent any DU ammo and it looks like the UK is calling their bluff.
Speaking of Depleted Uranium, UK is sending DU ammo to Ukraine for use in the NATO tanks. Russia had previously threatened to use nukes if NATO sent any DU ammo and it looks like the UK is calling their bluff.
Doesn't depleted uranium lead to terrible birth defects to babies and cancer to others?
Yeah, but I think for the amount they actually get used, it gets overstated. Wars generally release multiple kinds of environmentally hazardous materials and compounds that have a negative health effects. When compared to other chemicals, like VOCs, hydrocarbons, PCBs, PFOS, elevated levels of metals in general, toxic air emissions, and so on, depleted uranium certainly doesn't help on top of all that, but it shouldn't be the main concern.
But yeah, the negative environmental and human health effects of war are terrible and last a long time. Basically, anywhere there has been a battle, or even staging area, is probably a contaminated site now. Anytime something blows up, it leaves contamination in the ground and water.
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Last edited by FlamesAddiction; 03-21-2023 at 07:30 PM.
Doesn't depleted uranium lead to terrible birth defects to babies and cancer to others?
It's a heavy metal, all of which like cadmium, are toxic to humans in large quantities especially if it leeches into ground water.
Since DU rounds are expensive and in theory limited to defeat the strongest enemy tank armor, most of the time lower cost HESH/tungsten rounds will be more than sufficient against a bunker, or an APC/IFV. Hopefully, the Ukrainian tankers/loaders have been properly trained on this. Couple with there not being huge use of stupid things like air fired DU rounds in mass quantity ala. A-10's GAU gatling gun killing 900+ Iraqi armored vehicles (with Ukrainians only getting DU rounds for the UK Challengers), the cleanup effort of the blowed-up Russian tanks will hopefully be a simpler task.
Ukrainians are fighting on their own land, they will likely want to keep damage and rebuild complications to a minimum.
Appreciate the info, I wasn't certain myself. I just remembered reading about it in reports about high incidents of these defects found in babies as a result of the American invasion of Iraq.
I think demining and cleaning up all the cluster munitions Russia has been massively using will take much much longer. Cleanup of a relatively small amount of DU rounds will be easier compared to the huge amount of unexploded mines/active munitions, and the civilian casualties that will cause once people start moving back.
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Now now, this was Stalin's crown jewel to defeat the newly formed NATO and was designed at Stalin Ural Tank Factory No. 183, a factory of global renown that drew fear in the eyes of capitalist enemies. Only the very best for Putin's army.
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Someone argued on Reddit that modern IFVs (like Bradleys) could defeat the T55 because the Bradley could light it up looooong before the T55 even sees it.
A regular RPG could take out a T55 right?
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I don't know much but I believe these are cold war-era tanks.
They're probably not going to be much use, but if anything they'll be used to deplete Ukraine's ammo and rockets supply and expose Ukrainian positions.
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Can someone knowledgeable on the situation clarify - are these T-55 old pieces of shyt? Is this funny, or actually threatening to Ukraine?
They were first built in 1948. They are the most numerous tank ever built.
Normally when people picture "tank" in their mind, they see the T-55. Almost every military in the world except western Europe, Canada & the US operated them.
But yes, they are old AF and stand no chance on a modern battlefield. They can still cause damage to infrastructure and infantry (if they don't have anti-tank arms).
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If only there was some other democratic, peaceful, resource-rich nation that could displace Russian O&G on the global stage. Could you imagine a country that could wean the world off Russian O&G and making a lot of money doing it? And then investing a good portion of that money into advancing alternative / green energy policy, research and technology?
Yeah, I can't either.
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