Alexander Bastrykin explained that the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons stipulates that states parties undertake to take measures to prohibit such weapons within their territory.
However, according to Bastrykin, work in the field of microbiology using bacteria and viruses may have a dual purpose - both the development of medicines and the use of dangerous infections to create components of biological weapons.
For monitoring purposes, parties to the convention have to regularly provide information, such as what laboratories are operating on their territories and what facilities are involved in the research.
"But if one country uses the territories of other states to conduct research, such behavior could be seen as a desire to circumvent existing monitoring procedures and conceal the real aims and results of its activities. As part of the criminal case, the Investigative Committee continues to analyze the available information related to the issue," Bastrykin said when asked about the possibility of Western countries developing bioweapons in laboratories in Ukraine.
The Russian Security Council on April 12 unanimously approved the report of a parliamentary commission investigating the activities of US biolaboratories in Ukraine, and the document has already been supported by the State Duma.
In February 2022, the Russian Defense Ministry discovered the existence of 30 US-funded military biological laboratories in Ukraine. According to Moscow, Washington has spent over $200 million to develop biological weapons at the facilities. Russia also said that the labs uncovered in Ukraine constituted only a small part of a global network of over 300 similar facilities. The Unites States denies the Russian accusations.