On May 20, 2026, the Ukrainian security service (SBU) posted a statement and photographs documenting the presence of depleted uranium in the unexploded warhead fragments of a Russian R-60 air-to-air missile. The evidence was found near the village of Kamka in Chernihiv Oblast after an attack on April 7.

In recent months, this older model missile, which NATO calls the AA-8 Aphid and Russia designates as the R-60, has been mounted on the Geran-2, a Russian-modified attack drone adapted from the Iranian Shahed design. The missile is highly maneuverable and is being used to counter Ukrainian drones and helicopters by means of a „continuous rod“ warhead designed to slice through their airframes. In some continuous rod warheads the rod is made of tungsten or hardened steel, but on R-60s it is made of depleted uranium.

Each R-60 missile is reported to use 1.6 kg of depleted uranium in its continuous rod warhead.

On the other side and for comparison, Ukrainian forces have received and are believed to have used the M833 105mm APFSDS-T rounds fired by the M1 Abrams tank (3.665 kg depleted uranium each), the L27 APFSD Charm-3 rounds fired by the British Challenger 2 tank (4.5 kg. depleted uranium each) and the PGU-20 25mm rounds fired by the Bradley Fighting Vehicle (0.15 kg depleted uranium each). Russia’s modified T-80BV and new T-90A tanks may also be using the Russian 3BM-60 Svinet-2 depleted uranium round in Ukraine [see ICBUW DU Weapons List].

Most media reports of the radioactive Russian warhead have been very critical in tone about the radioactive and chemical hazards of depleted uranium, and have overwhelmingly failed to note that Ukraine is also using depleted uranium weapons. The full extent of both Ukrainian and Russian use of these weapons in their war is not exactly known while ICBUW continues to watch and comment (see, latest, [Short DU Update on Ukraine, 22.12.24]).

The SBU advised civilians to exercise caution around missile or drone targets and wreckage, and report the location to authorities.

ICBUW demands that both Ukraine and Russia refrain from using this environment-damaging weaponry – which runs counter to existing legal standards binding upon both parties to the conflict. At a minimum, both sides should publicly disclose where their forces have used these munitions, so that exposure of civilians and post-conflict aid workers to the toxic and radiation hazards of depleted uranium can be mitigated. This would be in line with the transparency principle contained – together with that of precaution – in UN General Assembly resolutions on the issue.

Jack Cohen-Joppa, ICBUW Steering Group