Health Minister: NATO conducted a "inhumane experiment" in the Balkans

NATO's use of depleted uranium munitions in its air war against Yugoslavia was a "horrible and inhumane experiment" against the region, Serbian Health Minister Danica Grujicic has said. Contamination from these munitions led to a surge in cancer, autoimmune disease, and infertility, and Serbian physicians began noticing a surge in leukemia and lymphoma cases seven years after the bombing campaign. NATO used 10 metric tons of depleted uranium during its 1999 air campaign against Yugoslavia, and evidence from Serbia suggests that depleted uranium poses "practically no danger" when ingested or absorbed through wounds. Grucijic has long called for an international inquiry into NATO's use of depleted uranium, pointing out that 5,500 out of every 100,000 Serbs suffer from some kind of carcinoma. The UK announced earlier this month that it plans to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium shells for use with British-provided Challenger 2 battle tanks. The Russian Defense Ministry warned that these shells would "cause irreparable harm" to soldiers and civilians alike, and Russian President Vladimir Putin responded by moving some of its tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus this summer.