NATO Confirms To United Nations Use Of Depleted Uranium During Kosovo Conflict

GENEVA, 21 March (UNEP/HABITAT) — The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has confirmed to the United Nations that depleted uranium (DU) was used during the Kosovo conflict. But, according to the Joint UNEP/UNCHS Balkans Task Force (BTF), the information provided is not of sufficient detail to facilitate an accurate field assessment of the environmental and human health consequences of its use at the present time.

The new information on DU, which was sent in a letter (and an accompanying map) to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan from the NATO Secretary-General, Lord Robertson, states:

“DU rounds were used whenever the A-10 engaged armour during Operation Allied Force. Therefore, it was used throughout Kosovo during approximately 100 missions. . . A total of approximately 31,000 rounds of DU ammunition was used in Operation Allied Force. The major focus of these operations was in an area west of the Pec-Dakovica-Prizren highway, in the area surrounding Klina, in the area around Prizren and in an area to the north of a line joining Suva Reka and Urosevac. However, many missions using DU also took place outside these areas.”