Antonov: US fears being accused of violating Biological Weapons Convention

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Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov stated that the US fears being accused of violating the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).

It is worth mentioning that the BWC effectively bans the development, production, acquisition, transfer, stockpiling, and use of biological and toxin weapons.

He also added that the US also "fears that pathogens stored in Ukrainian biological laboratories will fall into the hands of the Russians."

Earlier, the US under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland Ukraine affirmed that Ukraine has biological research facilities, with the US being concerned that they could come under the control of the Russian forces.

Data concerning biological laboratories found in Ukraine does not help the case of the US against claims regarding its compliance with the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Tuesday. 

On Monday, Igor Kirillov, the head of the radiation, chemical, and biological defense of the Russian armed forces, reported that Russian forces found 30 biological laboratories in Ukraine, possibly used to develop biological weapons.

There are three main areas in which work in the labs is being carried out. According to the Pentagon, the labs monitor the biological situation in proposed areas for NATO deployment, collect and export strains of dangerous microorganisms to the United States, and conduct research work on potential agents of biological weapons specific to particular regions having natural foci and could be transmitted to humans, Kirillov noted. 

Following recent media reports which say that the US has stored large quantities of dangerous viruses in biological laboratories, and Russia’s affirmation of said news, China urged the US to offer a comprehensive clarification on its biological militarization activities in Ukraine.