Russian MoD: US to Move Unfinished Bio-Weapon Programs From Ukraine to Elsewhere in Eastern Europe
12:35 GMT 03.09.2022 (Updated: 20:56 GMT 19.10.2022)
© Photo : Russian Ministry of DefenceMap of biological laboratories in Ukraine conducting experiments on dangerous pathogens, released by the Russian Defense Ministry
© Photo : Russian Ministry of Defence
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Russia previously discovered signs of several bio laboratories in Ukraine, which were seized by Russian troops and were reportedly working on pathogens that could be used in the production of the banned biological weapons. Moscow also found documents indicating that the US, namely the Pentagon, funded this research.
The Pentagon is planning to move unfinished programs for the development of biological weapons from Ukraine to other countries in the former Soviet bloc and Eastern Europe, Russia's Defense Ministry has stated during its daily press briefing.
The ministry said that it had evidence that tissue samples and dangerous pathogens are being moved from Ukraine abroad, noting that the process threatens the well-being of those regions. The Defense Ministry added that it plans to present evidence that the US and Ukraine are violating the international convention banning bioweapons in Geneva next week.
"Right now, we are seeing several publications in the foreign press with a nervous reaction from Washington to the release of extremely sensitive documents by the [Russian] Defense Ministry. Journalists note that the American intelligence services are taking unprecedented steps to prevent Russia from having access to potential witnesses close to the implementation of the classified military biological projects of the Pentagon in Ukraine," the Defense Ministry said.
The Russian Defense Ministry pointed out that instead of focusing on the research of the pathogens that were of social importance for Ukraine, such as those triggering measles, rubella, tuberculosis, or AIDS, the Pentagon invested in the research of cholera, tularemia, plague, and hantaviruses. The Russian military believes that the US was interested in this research because these viruses are endemic to Russia and any outbreak caused by the use of biological weapons could be misidentified as naturally occurring.
During the press briefing, the ministry also unveiled that it became aware of Kiev's request for the Turkish Bayraktar drone manufacturer to equip some of the UAVs with aerosol spray systems that can hold and disperse up to 20 liters of substance. The request was filed on December 15, 2021, ahead of the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, the ministry noted, calling out Kiev's attempts to prepare for the use of biological weapons against Russia.
"With a UAV flight range of up to 300 km and their equipment of containers with biological [weapons], it created a real threat of large-scale use of biological weapons in Russian territory," Chief of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops of the Russian Armed Forces Igor Kirillov said.
Kirillov further informed that a patent for a drone capable of dispersing insects infected with dangerous pathogens had been registered in the US, meaning that such a devise has already been developed and was functioning. He pointed out that the patent's description details that the device could be used to kill or incapacitate enemy troops without any threat for the US military.
Russia previously published the documents its military discovered in the Ukrainian biolaboratories seized during the special military operation. These documents suggested that Ukraine received funding from the US to study several types of dangerous pathogens. Moscow claimed that this research could potentially be used by Kiev to develop biological weapons to use against Russia. Washington denies funding biological weapons research banned by the international conventions.