Russia demands U.S. disclose information on biolabs in Ukraine

On Mar 18, 2022

The Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova asked Washington to provide all information on the activities of U.S linked biological laboratories in Ukraine on Thursday.

According to the he ministry’s spokesperson, “The nervous and unjustified reaction of the United States to Moscow’s concerns only confirms the extremely dangerous and illegal activities carried out in these facilities.

“We can see the stubborn silence, the reluctance to talk about the issue on international platforms, the concealment of facts, and the destruction of evidence,” she added.

Zakharova noted that these laboratories in Ukraine have worked directly in conjunction with the Pentagon.

However, due to the absence of a verification mechanism under the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), it is impossible to monitor the degree to which these laboratories are involved with U.S. programs.

“This suggests that the Americans are not just carrying out prohibited activities, but also blocking all possibilities for specialized international institutions to verify their prohibited activities in the field of biological weapons,” she said.

Moscow is proposing to resume work on a legally binding protocol on an effective verification mechanism within the BTWC.

U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland testified last week before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Ukraine, admitting Ukraine has biological research facilities.

“We are working with the Ukrainians on how they can prevent any of those research materials from falling into the hands of Russian forces should they approach,” she said.

Xinhua