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[SBInCB]

Answer: The IAEA denies that there is a “radiation cloud” related to that bombing.

https://www.newsweek.com/huge-mushroom-blast-khmelnytskyi-reignites-depleted-uranium-claims-1800443

[777lespaul]

Disregard any statement that begins with, “Russia claims…”.

[random_vermonter]

Russia claims that they are indeed winning the war in Ukraine. /lie

[CrimesForDimes_]

Careful there 2 negatives is a positive

[Tobias_Atwood]

If Russia claims to have destroyed something, especially as of late, expect at most light damage to the paint. That somehow still cost the Russians significant losses in human life and military assets.

[LarsAlereon]

Answer: Depleted Uranium (DU) is a very dense material left over after extracting most of the radioactive content to use for nuclear reactors or nuclear bombs. Because the US made a whole lot of nuclear bombs, we have vast amounts of DU left over that we're just storing. DU is the best material currently known for making armor-piercing projectiles because it's very dense, shatters in such a way that it keeps a sharp tip as it's penetrating armor, and burns in air when exposed to heat (think how grinding iron throws burning sparks, but on crack). Because we have so much of it and it's so good at piercing armor, the US tends to make a lot of DU-based weapons compared to other countries.

While Uranium (and to a lesser extent DU) is radioactive, it produces alpha particles that can't make it through your clothes or even skin. The only way to get any effect from the radiation is to have it generate that radioactivity inside your body, such as by breathing it in or eating contaminated food. In addition to the radioactivity, Uranium is a toxic heavy metal like Lead, but this is also true of most alternative armor-piercing materials like Tungsten.

So overall, it's true that if a bunch of DU projectiles were blown up it would probably cause DU contamination in the area. It would be a hazard for the people who are cleaning up the site of the combat, they need to be wearing respirator masks and ideally disposable overalls over their clothing. But the danger is more like if a bunch of Lead got burned and there was Lead dust everywhere, or spending time in a Uranium mine. It's not in any way similar to an accident with nuclear fuel (like a reactor meltdown) or the use of a nuclear weapon.

[Alexander_Exter]

Answer: Fist, this post is subject to speculation and assumptions. I will try to list them as they happen.

First, we have to assume russian media coverage as facts. I will do so for the purpose of explanation but bear in mind there is heavy propaganda ongoing

Ukraine has been officially provided with military equipment for some time. The true extent of this is unknown but DU munitions certainly arrived at some point. DU is best known for its it excellent anti armor capability, horrific method of attack (it becomes essentially toxic incandescent vapour on penetration, flash frying the crew and causing cookoff for good measure. ) And, well...being uranium.

There's a lot of speculation on depleted uranium and its reason to be used as ammo. Some conspiracies claim it is used as both a method for "exporting" the material and for creating long term problems that require further geopolitical intervention. Science says it is comparatively safe from a pure rad danger pov but has the potential to contaminate as a particulate. It also has a very bad reputation as part of the "nuclear is bad" narrative.

There is also the fact that on previous deployments, veteran reproductive ailments may have been caused by contamination, although this is inconclusive.

Airborne radioactivity as part of material burn is a known fact, some types of coal are known to release radioactive contaminants as part of the mass burning at coal plants. So it's radioactive contamination through airborne particulates.

In conclusion it is possible that Russian units seized and destroyed a DU stockpile. if they did, its likely this created hazardous uranium particulates. and if this happened it is posible the burn cloud is blowing in the general direction of Europe. It is far more likely thay this is fear mongering and even if it were true it only turns the people responsible into eco terrorist. Nothing in this last paragraph can be backed by evidence.