Explanation:

Recent context: Recently, the British government said that it would provide Ukraine with armourpiercing rounds containing depleted uranium. • In order to produce fuel for certain types of nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons, uranium has to be "enriched" in the U-235 isotope, which is responsible for nuclear fission. o During the enrichment process, the fraction of U-235 is increased from its natural level (0.72% by mass) to between 2% and 94% by mass. o The by-product uranium mixture (after the enriched uranium is removed) has reduced concentrations of U-235 and U-234. This by-product of the enrichment process is known as depleted uranium (DU). Hence statement 1 is correct. • In comparison to enriched uranium, depleted uranium is much less radioactive and is incapable of generating a nuclear reaction. Hence statement 2 is not correct. o The official definition of depleted uranium given by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is uranium in which the percentage fraction by weight of U-235 is less than 0.711%. o Typically, the percentage concentration by weight of the uranium isotopes in DU used for military purposes is: U-238: 99.8%; U-235: 0.2%; and U-234: 0.001%. o However, due to its high density — it’s more dense than lead — depleted uranium is widely used in weapons as it can easily penetrate armour plating. • Apart from the US, Britain, Russia, China, France and Pakistan produce uranium weapons, which are not classified as nuclear weapons, as per the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons. • Even though depleted uranium munitions aren’t considered nuclear weapons, experts suggest that such weapons must be used with caution because they emit low levels of radiation and can cause severe diseases.