Seven Hiroshima A-bomb survivor groups protest against U.S. supply of depleted uranium shells
Sep. 9, 2023
by Kaori Ota, Staff Writer
On September 8, seven groups of atomic-bomb survivors in Hiroshima sent a statement of protest regarding the U.S. government’s decision to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium shells. Referring to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, they criticized the move, calling it as an outrageous act that goes against the flow of international society.
It is said that depleted uranium shells have a higher penetrating power than ordinary artillery shells, and when they explode, uranium particles diffuse into the human body, causing exposure to radiation inside the body.
In a statement directed to U.S. President Joe Biden, the groups condemned the production and use of depleted uranium shells as a type of inhuman nuclear weapon that cannot be tolerated. In light of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s repeated nuclear threats, they urged Mr. Biden not to supply depleted uranium shells, saying shells could potentially serve as a pretext or a trigger for the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons.”
The seven groups of A-bomb survivors mailed the statement to the U.S. Embassy in Japan on September 8. They also protested the British decision in March to supply depleted uranium shells to Ukraine.
(Originally published on September 9, 2023)
On September 8, seven groups of atomic-bomb survivors in Hiroshima sent a statement of protest regarding the U.S. government’s decision to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium shells. Referring to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, they criticized the move, calling it as an outrageous act that goes against the flow of international society.
It is said that depleted uranium shells have a higher penetrating power than ordinary artillery shells, and when they explode, uranium particles diffuse into the human body, causing exposure to radiation inside the body.
In a statement directed to U.S. President Joe Biden, the groups condemned the production and use of depleted uranium shells as a type of inhuman nuclear weapon that cannot be tolerated. In light of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s repeated nuclear threats, they urged Mr. Biden not to supply depleted uranium shells, saying shells could potentially serve as a pretext or a trigger for the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons.”
The seven groups of A-bomb survivors mailed the statement to the U.S. Embassy in Japan on September 8. They also protested the British decision in March to supply depleted uranium shells to Ukraine.
(Originally published on September 9, 2023)
