UK to provide weapons containing depleted uranium to Ukraine. What are these? Russia plans to store tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, responding to the UK's decision to supply Ukraine with arm-appearsing shells made from depleted uranium. Although the rounds only contain trace amounts of radioactivity, Russia has falsely claimed the ammunition contains, nuclear components to justify its move into Belarus. Debted uranium is dense enough to pierce many types of armor and has been used legally by British forces for several decades. The dangers of exposure to their radiation have never been clearly proven or disproven due to contradicting scientific studies. The US and UK have used the arm-appearsing shells in the past, but many countries avoid them due to their toxicity. Studies have focused on the health risks incurred by soldiers and the long-term health risks incurred by local inhabitants due to radiation. The risks of depleted uranium shells are twofold. Debre from the shells remains radioactive and potentially dangerous in case of prolonged exposure, and the shells emit a cloud of radioactive dust upon impact that goes on to pollute the environment.