DISINFO: The US aims to create a universal biological weapon
SUMMARY
The United States aims to create a universal biological weapon that can destroy not only people, but also animals and agricultural crops. Its use, among other things, involves causing large-scale and irreparable economic damage to the adversary.
For this purpose, Washington is strengthening its medical-biological activities in the post-Soviet space, modernising biological laboratories in accordance with American standards and trying to strengthen the control of national sanitary-epidemiological and veterinary services.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the US and biological weapons, which pro-Kremlin outlets and Russian authorities continue promoting despite repeated debunking. Consistent with the Pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign against biological laboratories in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Georgia and other countries. The disinformation was deployed in an attempt to justify Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The ultimate goal of this disinformation story is to promote a years-long baseless narrative about US bio-laboratories for military purposes, falsely portraying US-funded research facilities in Ukraine and other countries as military sites, as pro-Kremlin disinformation deliberately blurred the line between biological weapons and biological research.
According to the UN, there are no signs of any biological weapons programme conducted in Ukraine, despite the claims made by Russia.
In reality, all laboratories located in Ukraine are controlled by the Ukrainian government. In August 2005, the US and Ukrainian governments made an agreement to prevent the spread of dangerous pathogens and relevant expertise and to diminish potential biological risks. Partially, this agreement was aimed at modernising state laboratories in Odesa, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Dnipro and other regions, consisting of upgrading lab equipment and repairs of premises.
The US Embassy in Ukraine previously addressed the claims about supposed bio-military labs in Ukraine, stating that this is a fabricated accusation in pro-Kremlin propaganda that aims to hinder the ongoing U.S.-Ukrainian partnership to reduce biological threats. The accusations are part of the Kremlin’s broader, long-lasting disinformation campaign to discredit the US in the eyes of Putin’s pro-Western neighbors such as Georgia and Ukraine.
See more disinformation cases on biological weapons here.