DISINFO: US created components for biological weapons in labs in Ukraine
SUMMARY
There is a discrepancy in the US government claims about labs in Ukraine. Russian troops discovered more than 20 000 documents confirming the Pentagon’s focus on creating components for biological weapons and testing them on residents of Ukraine and other countries along the Russian border.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US producing biological weapons, this time in Ukraine. Shifting attention away from Russia's responsibility for its war on Ukraine.
This narrative is promoted not only via media channels, but also in the context of Russia's membership of international organisations. Russia repeatedly claimed that the United States have a biological weapons programme in Ukrainian labs, the country even demanded the UN Security Council to investigate them.
At a meeting on this topic in March 2022, Izumi Nakamitsu, UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, informed the Security Council saying that “the UN is not aware of any biological weapons programme being conducted in Ukraine”. Both the US and Ukraine have denied that any such programme would be operated.
Ukraine does have a network of biological labs, even such financially supported from the US. But they are owned and operated by Ukraine and are part of an initiative called the Biological Threat Reduction Program. The Program aims to reduce the threat of outbreaks not just in Ukraine, but also in Eastern Europe and in the Caucuses. Its focus is not the development of biological weapons. The research was done in collaboration with neighbouring countries, as well as the World Health Organisation and the World Organisation for Animal Health.
Even Russian scientists visited these facilities prior to the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Similar assistance from the US was provided to Russia, also prior to the invasion of Crimea. Independent Russian scientists, who had access to the alleged “documents”, also said they do not provide any evidence of development of biological weapons.