Activities of biolabs in Ukraine, US role: statements by Russian chemical troops

MOSCOW, June 19. /TASS/. Ukrainian biolabs were used to study the pathogens of plague, anthrax, tularemia, Marburg fever and Ebola, Lieutenant General Alexey Rtishchev, chief of the Russian army's Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense Troops, said at a briefing by the Defense Ministry on the analysis of documents published by the US national Intelligence service about the activities of biolabs in Ukraine.

According to him, American intelligence materials confirmed that biolabs in Ukraine were funded from the US state budget.

TASS has compiled the key statements of the chief of the Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense Troops.

Studying infections and diseases in Ukraine

Severe diseases that can be transmitted to humans and have pandemic potential were studied at the Kharkov Institute of Experimental and Clinical Veterinary Medicine: "These include highly pathogenic avian influenza, as well as African and classical swine fever, and the Newcastle disease, which have pandemic potential."

The United States funded a study by the institute of a particularly dangerous zoonotic infection of glanders: "The situation with the glanders pathogen raises questions: a separate project to study it was funded and completed within the framework of the American zoonotic infections program, although cases of this disease have never been recorded in Ukraine."

A military biological project called "U-P" was launched in Ukraine, within its framework the spread and migration of anthrax were studied: "Thus, the U-P-1 project was aimed at studying rickettsia and other diseases spread by arthropods. The mechanisms of cross-border spread and migration of tularemia and anthrax were evaluated within the framework of a large-scale project "U-P-2."

The Russian army has information about ten military biological projects in Ukraine involving highly dangerous infections, including African swine fever: "We have information about ten similar projects that involved working with pathogens of highly dangerous and economically significant infections - Congo-Crimean fever, leptospirosis, tick-borne encephalitis, African swine fever."

American intelligence materials confirmed that biolabs in Ukraine were funded by the US government: "Further evidence has been obtained that biolabs on the territory of Ukraine were funded and reconstructed with funds from the federal budget of the United States."

American intelligence has confirmed Russia's data on the locations and activities of Ukrainian biolabs: "The locations and research activities of the biolabs previously identified by the Russian Defense Ministry and the Russian Foreign Ministry have now been confirmed by US national intelligence materials."

Research in American biolabs was conducted in conditions of top secrecy with limited access by Ukrainian specialists: "The work was coordinated by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), the research was conducted in conditions of top secrecy with limited access of Ukrainian specialists to information and premises."

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard confirmed Russia’s statements about the creation by the US Democratic Party of a legal framework to support military biological research: "Our repeated statements about the formation by the US Democratic Party of a legislative framework for financing military biological research were confirmed in a published press release by the head of national intelligence."

The Pentagon attracted large scientific organizations and pharmaceutical companies from the United States to its military biological research, and funds from non-governmental organizations were used: "The main contractors of the American military department were Metabiota, Black & Veatch, and CH2M HILL, which were responsible for the construction of biological facilities and the supply of equipment."

The Pentagon's military biological research was funded in the form of grants through Ukrainian and International Scientific and Technological Centers.

The documents published by Gabbard on Pentagon's biological research are the evidence of Kiev's violation of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).

The Russian Defense Ministry possesses important new materials on the Pentagon's military biological activities, and they are being analyzed.

During the special military operation, Russia received documents confirming that the focus of work in the biolabs in Ukraine was inconsistent with its health problems: "During the special military operation, we received additional documents confirming that the focus of the work does not correspond to Ukraine’s current health problems, the core of which are socially significant diseases. The priority was to study the damaging properties of potential biological weapons agents, as well as infectious agents aimed at undermining the state's economy."

Ukraine recorded a violation in the Odessa Anti-Plague Research Institute, marked on the map as a place of "biological weapons storage."

The nomenclature of pathogens at the Odessa Research Institute indicates attempts to develop biological weapons components there: "The very nomenclature of pathogens, which does not correspond to the current health problems of Ukraine, where an increase in the incidence of rubella, diphtheria, and tuberculosis is recorded, indicates attempts to develop biological weapons components in the Ukrainian biolabs."

The Ukrainian biolabs were used to study the pathogens of plague, anthrax, tularemia, Marburg fever and Ebola: "For example, a press release published by the office of the head of the US National Intelligence provides a map of biolabs in Ukraine. The documents list facilities in Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Lvov, Vinnytsa, Ternopol, Chernihov and Odessa. I emphasize that studies of the pathogens of plague, anthrax, tularemia, Marburg fever and Ebola were conducted there."

Reaction to Russia's appeals

Russia has only received accusations of disinformation after calls to discuss the facts of the implementation of military biological programs by Ukraine and the West: "The Russian Federation has repeatedly initiated discussions on the facts of the implementation of military biological programs by Ukraine and Western countries in violation of the Biological Weapons Convention at relevant international venues, including the Security Council and the UN General Assembly. You can view the briefings held earlier on this topic on the website of the Russian Defense Ministry. Until the last moment, we received only excuses and accusations of disinformation in response.

"At the same time, bringing documented information about these illegal activities of Western countries to the world community allowed us to change the situation."

All accusations of Russia spreading disinformation and conducting hybrid operations are false.