DISINFO: Evidence of military biological activities in Ukraine is increasing
SUMMARY
Evidence of military biological activities in Ukraine is increasing. It is a violation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring disinformation narrative from pro-Kremlin outlets alleging that there is military biological activity in Ukraine, often at the premises of the US-sponsored secret laboratories.
The article’s message is presented in the context of the 2022 ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, which started on 24 February 2022. It is aimed at justifying this aggression. It is often reinforced with an allegation that birds, rats and insects are being poisoned with a special substance targeting ethnic Russians.
In reality, Ukraine cooperates with the US Department of Defence's Biological Threat Reduction Programme (BTRP), which aims at safeguarding global health by preventing the outbreak of contagious diseases. Ukraine has been provided with four mobile scientific and medical laboratories to counter the outbreak of COVID-19 throughout the country. Additionally, two scientific laboratories dedicated to food safety and consumer protection were built in 2019 as part of the BTRP.
The US Embassy in Ukraine has repeatedly denied the “creation of military biological laboratories” in Ukraine. Kyiv and Washington cooperate in the fight against biological terrorism exclusively within the framework of Ukrainian legislation. This operation serves the interests of both countries, as well as those of their partners.
Ukraine has dozens of public health laboratories that work to research and mitigate the threats of dangerous diseases, some of which receive financial and technical support from the US, the European Union and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The United Nations high representative for disarmament, Izumi Nakamitsu, said the UN was “not aware of any biological weapons programmes” in Ukraine.
Read similar cases claiming that COVID-19 is likely the fault of the US; it runs dozens of deadly biolabs around the world, the US is developing biological weapons in laboratories in post-Soviet republics or that Ukraine is a testing ground for US biological war against Russia.