The Security Service found uranium in Geran-2 warheads striking Chernihiv Oblast and warned residents not to touch drone fragments, which can release radioactive dust.
Damaged or burned munitions pose the greatest danger, as they may release radioactive dust hazardous to people and the environment. A gamma reading of 24 microsieverts per hour is roughly 80 times background and enough to flag debris as hazardous to anyone in prolonged contact, though a single brief exposure at that level is far below the dose that causes acute harm.
So if this is just a “higher cancer levels years from now” kind of thing, why would Russia bother adding uranium? Isn’t uranium expensive?
Which is just extra mass in the munition. There’s no special property beyond being heavier per a certain volume that makes it crack armor better. Molten copper literally works better than DU to penetrate armor.
It’s all about disposal of radioactive waste. That’s really the answer. And that kills people on both sides of a conflict, years after the conflict is over. You like cancer? You want more?
Which is the leftover part that’s not useful for making nukes with.
Still radioactive, it’s basically hazardous waste… That weighs more than lead.
So you put it in munitions, and the same size projectile has more force, more stopping power.
So you get more damage out of each round, plus convenient disposal of toxic waste, plus the radiological contamination around your targets, which either ties up more resources or gives the people you’re shooting at cancer later. Or both! Or your own guys!
veritable carnival of excitement
Please re-read my comment, I only really focused on the radiation as I felt that more info was needed.
Since you seem to have actual experience with DU, I would be very interested in hearing if you ever checked how radioactive the DU munitions were?
I never said that DU wasn’t dangerous, it absolutely is, the toxicity is absolutely a large issue, as is its effect when hitting a target vehicle, absolutely devastating.
But this is weird because drones arent projectiles in that sense. This is pretty much equivalent to putting very slightly radioactive lead ballast in a drone. All it is doing is slowing the drone down and reducing it’s range. Very odd.
Ah, I misunderstood. Its a missile ON another missile (the one way drone) for shooting down other drones that try and take it down and that missile has a usually tungsten fragment warhead which is being replaced with DU.
Still weird but not completely baffling in that case.
Its a terrible way of doing that though, if you wanted to do that there are far lighter materials (i.e. you can carry more) and you’d disperse it as a powder from altitude.
As I said, drones arent projectiles in that sense.
A uranium (or tungsten, or even jacketed lead) dart hitting a target straight on with a sharp point while going multiple times the speed of sound is armour penetrating. Just putting a heavy metal in a subsonic aircraft carrying high explosive does nothing to help it penetrate armour and likely would impede it.
This is depleted uranium, not uranium ore. It’s actual refined uranium, but not the right sort of uranium for use in fission reactions like nuclear power plants or bombs
So if this is just a “higher cancer levels years from now” kind of thing, why would Russia bother adding uranium? Isn’t uranium expensive?
Thats just a side effect. The primary purpose of the uranium in the warhead is its armor piercing capabilities.
Which is just extra mass in the munition. There’s no special property beyond being heavier per a certain volume that makes it crack armor better. Molten copper literally works better than DU to penetrate armor.
It’s all about disposal of radioactive waste. That’s really the answer. And that kills people on both sides of a conflict, years after the conflict is over. You like cancer? You want more?
According to the article, it’s depleted uranium.
Which is the leftover part that’s not useful for making nukes with.
Still radioactive, it’s basically hazardous waste… That weighs more than lead.
So you put it in munitions, and the same size projectile has more force, more stopping power. So you get more damage out of each round, plus convenient disposal of toxic waste, plus the radiological contamination around your targets, which either ties up more resources or gives the people you’re shooting at cancer later. Or both! Or your own guys! veritable carnival of excitement
The west has been using depleted uranium for years, Israel loves it
DU is far less radioactive than natural uranium.
Cool. I routinely did 18+ hour long missions in iraq. Next to our munitions.
So fuck you.
You fucking apologist piece of shit
What?
Why am I an apologist for posting facts?
Please re-read my comment, I only really focused on the radiation as I felt that more info was needed.
Since you seem to have actual experience with DU, I would be very interested in hearing if you ever checked how radioactive the DU munitions were?
I never said that DU wasn’t dangerous, it absolutely is, the toxicity is absolutely a large issue, as is its effect when hitting a target vehicle, absolutely devastating.
“Oh oh, DU’s not that bad! I did math about bananas!”
Yes it fucking is. In every possible conceptual space. You goon. You know what you’re saying is wrong. Fuck you.
But this is weird because drones arent projectiles in that sense. This is pretty much equivalent to putting very slightly radioactive lead ballast in a drone. All it is doing is slowing the drone down and reducing it’s range. Very odd.
They’re putting it in the munitions on the drones
Ah, I misunderstood. Its a missile ON another missile (the one way drone) for shooting down other drones that try and take it down and that missile has a usually tungsten fragment warhead which is being replaced with DU.
Still weird but not completely baffling in that case.
If they’re not expecting the drones to return, this could be a ‘salting the earth’ tactic.
Its a terrible way of doing that though, if you wanted to do that there are far lighter materials (i.e. you can carry more) and you’d disperse it as a powder from altitude.
Like I said, its weird.
I’m not surprised it makes little sense. Remember this was/is a “Special military operation”. Emphasis on Special…
The drone is a kamikaze drone. It delivers the warhead and destroys itself.
The uranium is armor piercing. That’s why they use it.
As I said, drones arent projectiles in that sense.
A uranium (or tungsten, or even jacketed lead) dart hitting a target straight on with a sharp point while going multiple times the speed of sound is armour penetrating. Just putting a heavy metal in a subsonic aircraft carrying high explosive does nothing to help it penetrate armour and likely would impede it.
The R-60M missile uses a continuous rod warhead – the DU is apparently included for “enhanced fragmentation”.
Enriched uranium is expensive. Uranium ore isn’t
This is depleted uranium, not uranium ore. It’s actual refined uranium, but not the right sort of uranium for use in fission reactions like nuclear power plants or bombs
But it is radioactive. But given the mess around Chernobyl, drop in a bucket.
Alright, I stand corrected. I admittedly did not read the article before commenting, so I did not know they used depleted uranium.
Although my point about uranium ore being cheap is still technically correct 🤓
For armor piercing capabilities. And no it’s cheap because it’s radioactive and isn’t useful for very many things.
Lots of awful things about war. This is one in the endless list.