U.S. gives Ukraine armor-piercing rounds in $175 million package

The Biden administration is for the first time sending Ukraine armor-piercing munitions as a part of a $175 million weapons package the Pentagon announced Wednesday. 

Depleted uranium rounds are known as armor-piercing munitions because their high density — almost two times as dense as lead — enables them to penetrate armored tanks and ignite on impact, causing further damage. Depleted uranium is a byproduct of the uranium enrichment process used to make nuclear weapons; it's what's left after highly radioactive uranium is removed from the ore. 

There have been concerns over impacts of the munitions since the U.S. started using them on a large scale during the Gulf War, although in most cases, the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs Administration have found that the health effects are negligible. There are potential long term environmental effects, however, if the uranium makes its way into the soil and water.