Russia Reveals Details on US-Funded Biological Labs in Ukraine

On Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry Spokesperson Igor Konashenkov denounced that the U.S. financed Ukranian biolabs to carry out experiments with bat coronavirus samples.

RELATED:

The US Approves a $14 Billion Budget in Aid for Ukraine

“The U.S. planned to conduct work on pathogens of birds, bats, and reptiles in Ukraine in 2022, with a further transition to studying the possibility of carrying African swine fever and anthrax,” Konashenkov said, adding that the researchers were also looking at how spread pathogens by migratory birds.

“The purpose of this, and other Pentagon-funded biological research in Ukraine, was to create a mechanism for the covert spread of deadly pathogens,” he explained, as reported by Algora Blog.

Previously, Igor Kirillov, the head of the Russian Army's Radiation, Chemical, and Biological Defense Unit, denounced to the international community the existence of accounting documents showing that the U.S. Defense Department had financed studies for the development of bio weapons in the Ukraine.

On March 8, U.S.-based outlets published articles referring to an agreement between the U.S. Defense Department and the Ukrainian Health Ministry signed in 2005 for the financing of bio-laboratories, one of which is located in Odessa and would have as its purpose the identification of especially dangerous biological pathogens.

“The collaboration focuses on preventing the spread of technologies, pathogens, and knowledge that can be used in the development of biological weapons... The updated laboratory serves as Interim Central Reference Laboratory with a depozitarium (pathogen collection)," the National Pulse recalled by quoting a 2011 report from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences’ Committee on Anticipating Biosecurity Challenges of the Global Expansion of High-Containment Biological Laboratories.

“Among the viruses the lab studied were Ebola and ‘viruses of pathogencity group II by using of virology, molecular, serologica and express methods’… Additionally, the lab provided ‘special training for specialists on biosafety and biosecurity issues during handling of dangerous biological pathogenic agents’,” the U.S. outlet added.