September 8, 2023
1. Moscow’s reaction to Pentagon’s sending of the DU ammo to Kiev
The Pentagon’s delivery of DU projectiles to Ukraine will have dire consequences for future generations, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said. His comments came after Washington announced the delivery of an unspecified number of 120mm DU rounds to Ukraine as part of a new military aid package.
The statement has been made as a response to the Pentagon announcement articulated on September 6 that USA would provide Ukraine with another package of military assistance worth $175 mln. "This package includes: additional air defense equipment; artillery munitions; anti-tank weapons, including depleted uranium rounds for previously committed Abrams tanks," the U.S. DoD declared.
Washington will have to answer for the consequences of using such munitions, Dmitry Peskov warned.
“This is very bad news,” Peskov explained during a press conference on September 7, noting that the use of such munitions in Yugoslavia in the past has led to “galloping” increases in the number of people suffering from cancer and other diseases, which has been confirmed by international organizations. “The consequences become noticeable in subsequent generations,” the spokesperson stated, adding that “the same situation will inevitably occur in Ukrainian territories where [DU munitions] will be used.”
Peskov insisted that all of the responsibility would lie entirely with US leaders who made the decision to supply Kiev’s forces with such munitions.
The deliveries of DU rounds to Ukraine have also been met with condemnation from the United Nations, which has repeatedly objected to the use of such munitions anywhere in the world, but this warning has had no effect on the deliveries.
Prior to announcing the delivery of the controversial rounds on September 6, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh claimed that these rounds were “standard use” in American tanks. That is correct.
Earlier this year, the UK also sent Kiev a shipment of DU shells to be used with its Challenger 2 tanks, sparking outrage in Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the time that such deliveries would be “taking this escalation to a new and very serious stage.” Russia’s Embassy in London also accused the West of being willing to turn Ukraine into “not only an anti-Russian military shooting range, but also a radioactive landfill.”
Meanwhile, both Washington and London have repeatedly rejected all concerns about the potential consequences of using these toxic rounds and have dismissed reports stating that the use of such munitions has led to increase in cancer and birth defects in places like Iraq and Serbia.
On September 7 the Russian Embassy to the USA has slammed Washington’s decision to supply depleted uranium or DU rounds to Ukraine as ‘inhumane’
In its statement the Russian Embassy in Washington outlined the following: "The US Administration's decision to send depleted uranium rounds to Kiev is a clear sign of inhumanity. Obviously, Washington, obsessed with the idea of inflicting a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia, is ready to fight not only to the last Ukrainian but to put a cross on the future generations," the Embassy wrote on its Telegram channel.
"The US is deliberately transferring weapons with indiscriminate effects. It is fully aware of the consequences: explosions of such munitions result in the formation of a moving radioactive cloud. “
Small particles of uranium settle in the respiratory tract, lungs, esophagus, accumulate in kidneys and liver, cause cancer and lead to the inhibition of the whole organism’s functions. It’s right enough to take a look at the "uranium footprint" of the Americans in Iraq and the Balkans, where thousands of civilians suffered from oncology."
Russian diplomatic Mission also underscored: "By supplying the Ukrainian authorities with these shells, the United States is engaging in self-deception, refusing to accept the failure of the so-called counter-offensive of the Ukrainian armed forces. The course of the Special Military Operation will not change: the Russian Army will continue to methodically grind the weaponry sent to the Zelensky regime," it stressed. "The US Administration, in turn, reveals its true colors: it is deeply indifferent to both the present of Ukraine and the future of the republic and its European neighbors."
The Embassy added that the Department of Defense announced additional security assistance to meet Ukraine's critical security and defense needs. This announcement is the Biden Administration's 46th tranche of equipment to be provided from DoD inventories for Ukraine since August 2021.
2. View of US Republican presidential candidate
US Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy believes that the incumbent government’s claims that all financial and military aid to Ukraine is being carefully tracked are false. "Of course, the mainstream media and the establishment will say that any money the U.S. sends to support Ukraine is strictly 'itemized and audited,'" the politician wrote on X, a social network formerly known as Twitter. "This is a joke funnier than any Zelensky could have written in his prior career as a comedian."
"Don’t forget that in June, the Pentagon itself discovered an ‘accounting error’ that artificially created an extra $6.2 billion for Ukraine without Congressional approval. The notion that all money and military equipment being sent to Ukraine is being carefully tracked is deeply dishonest," Ramaswamy added.
Members of the Republican Party have repeatedly requested the administration of US President Joe Biden to audit funds allocated for supporting the Kiev government. Republican US House of Representatives member Lauren Boebert said in August US parliamentarians should not approve the White House’s request for additional aid to Ukraine and criticized the lack of audit during the process.
3. UK defense chief confirmed Challenger 2 tank destroyed in Ukraine
"I can confirm, that is correct. It may be the first loss as far as we are aware. We gifted 14 of these Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine. We accept that in the war zone, there can be material losses," Grant Shapps, the UK newly appointed Defence Secretary, said. That main battle tank has been destroyed in Ukraine in the first such incident in the model’s nearly 30 years of being in service.
Earlier, The Guardian reported that only one such tank, which entered combat in 1994, was hit in 2003 in Iraq, but that tank was destroyed in a friendly fire incident, not an enemy attack. Meanwhile, the report points out that such statistics can be explained by the small number of tanks produced and their infrequent deployment.
Overall, London shipped 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Kiev this year. The UK itself has 213 tanks of this type. Meanwhile, according to the information presented in the British Parliament in March, only 157 vehicles are combat-ready. Only one country, not counting the UK and Ukraine, uses Challenger 2 tanks — Oman.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the Ukrainian army has been making futile offensive attempts since June 4. According to the ministry, in three months, Ukrainian forces have lost over 66,000 personnel and 7,600 vehicles, achieving no success in any direction. On September 4, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed.
Russian Armed Forces have seven highly efficient types of anti-tank weapons that can hit enemies main battle tanks and armored vehicles by a single shot.
4. Local elections in four new territories began
For the first time, parliamentary elections will be held in the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (the DPR and the LPR), as well as in the Regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye that joined Russia in October 2022. In all the four regions, parliaments will be elected exclusively on party lists. The DPR People's Council has 90 members, while the LPR has 50. Forty members will be elected to the Zaporozhye legislative Assembly and 36 others to the Kherson Regional Duma.
The five Russian parliamentary parties – United Russia, Liberal-Democratic, the Communist Party, A Just Russia and The New Peoples’ Party – will run in the DPR and the LPR elections. The New Peoples’ Party decided not to nominate its candidates in the Zaporozhye and Kherson Regions.
Within 45 days after being formed, the legislatures are to choose heads of their respective Regions. The United Russia party has already nominated to the incumbent regional heads’ positions who currently have the acting status a.i.
More than 100 similar polling stations were also set up in these regions where Russian servicemen and reconstruction personnel have an opportunity to vote.
The vote will be monitored by 87 observers from various political parties and the LPR Public Chamber.
Observers from seven foreign countries have already visited many polling stations in these territories.
Written by Vladimir P. Kozin
