# Will the shelling in Ukraine be as bad an environmental impact as the WWI shelling in some areas? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** ukraine-invasion\ **Created:** [March 6, 2023, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-shelling-in-ukraine-be-as-bad-an-environmental-impact-as-the-wwi-shelling-in-some-areas/980786 "2023-03-06T15:42:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-shelling-in-ukraine-be-as-bad-an-environmental-impact-as-the-wwi-shelling-in-some-areas/980786/23 "2023-03-07T11:49:34Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > See the Zone Rouge link in the OP. I thought those areas were much smaller than they are until I looked at them on a modern map. I stand corrected. Ignorance fought. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-shelling-in-ukraine-be-as-bad-an-environmental-impact-as-the-wwi-shelling-in-some-areas/980786/24 "2023-03-07T11:50:26Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Are depleted uranium shells only used for specific types of targets (eg anti-tank), or would they be used in regular artillery shelling? Because of uranium’s density, self-sharpening behavior and pyrophoric properties, it’s well-suited to penetrating tank armor. its density and self-sharpening behavior gets it through, and once it’s inside the tank its pyrophoric nature results in a violent spray of burning shrapnel that pretty much destroys whatever’s inside. For attacking non-armored vehicles, infrastructure, or infantry, regular artillery rounds loaded with high explosive that produce a destructive blast wave and high-speed shrapnel make more sense. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-shelling-in-ukraine-be-as-bad-an-environmental-impact-as-the-wwi-shelling-in-some-areas/980786/25 "2023-03-07T16:44:43Z")
I think the number of shells is nothing close to the amount used in WW1. [This](https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/ukrainian-military-fires-day-same-171000972.html) article says Ukraine is using 5000-6000 shells a day. That would mean about 2 million have been used so far, even if Russia are using a lot more (they probably are) the total number is well under 10 million. The total number of shells used on the western front in WW1 was [1.5 BILLION](https://www.npr.org/2007/11/11/16131857/wwi-munitions-still-live-beneath-western-front). So we are talking at least two orders of magnitude more, albeit on a longer front but not that much longer. In both wars the shelling is not evenly distributed over the front, I’m sure the majority of those were fired over particular battlefields (such as what is now the Zone Rouge mentioned above which features Arras, Verdun and Cambrai) ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2023, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-shelling-in-ukraine-be-as-bad-an-environmental-impact-as-the-wwi-shelling-in-some-areas/980786/26 "2023-03-07T16:48:18Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > For instance anti-tank shells are often made with depleted uranium, Though I’m sure the residents of Iraq or Afghanistan have more to be concerned about, given the relative lack of money available to Russia or Ukraine, I’m sure the number of (very expensive) depleted uranium shells used is much less than the number used by the US in their wars (the famous anti tank rockets donated to the Ukraine by NATO countries are all shaped charge, not depleted uranium AFAIK) ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-shelling-in-ukraine-be-as-bad-an-environmental-impact-as-the-wwi-shelling-in-some-areas/980786/27 "2023-03-08T01:07:51Z")
Yes. The main place you will see DU residue is the site of armor battles, because armor is the only target worth using high-velocity direct-fire kinetic penetrator rounds on. The Russians have DU penetrator ammo for their tank guns; I don’t know if the Ukranians got any when they divvied up the Red Army. Most of the detritus of war on these battlefields will probably be explosive artillery shells and the remnants of those. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2023, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-shelling-in-ukraine-be-as-bad-an-environmental-impact-as-the-wwi-shelling-in-some-areas/980786/28 "2023-03-08T01:59:51Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#): > > I stand corrected. Ignorance fought. Thank you. You’re welcome. That’s what this place is for. 😉 i’m learning a lot from this thread myself. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-shelling-in-ukraine-be-as-bad-an-environmental-impact-as-the-wwi-shelling-in-some-areas/980786.md?page=1)