Moscow demands US, Ukraine provide data on military biological activity in Ukraine
Russia is demanding the United States and Ukraine reveal data on their military biological activity in Ukraine, which could have been behind the death of several and the spread of various deadly diseases.
In a statement on Thursday, Moscow says it has repeatedly called for the release of data on military biological activities of the pentagon in third world countries, but the West is blocking the initiative.
The death of more than 70 people in DPR in 2018 from multidrug-resistant strains of tuberculosis may be linked to Biolab activities in Ukraine.
US projects in Ukraine isolated six families of viruses, including coronaviruses; three types of pathogenic bacteria, the Russian military said in a statement.
It added that one of the supervisors of work in Biolabs in Ukraine was head of the DTRA office at the US embassy in Kiev.
Moscow stated that research on ways of transmitting diseases to humans through bats was carried out in Kharkiv together with the Lugar center in Tbilisi.
Biological weapons' components were created in Ukraine
Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the head of the Russian Armed Forces' Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Protection Troops, stated at a briefing on Thursday that the Russian Defense Ministry believes biological weapons components were developed in Ukraine.
"We believe that components of biological weapons were created on the territory of Ukraine," Kirillov said.
The Russian Defense Ministry is continuing to investigate materials gathered from Ukrainian laboratory staff regarding the implementation of the United States and NATO partners' military biological projects in Ukraine.
"Western media and some 'biologists,' most often having a second US citizenship, express doubts about the authenticity of the materials published by us. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the documents have the signatures of real officials and are certified by the seals of organizations," Kirillov said.
The US military biologists in Ukraine were interested in pathogens, use of which can be disguised as natural disease outbreaks.
US projects on sanitary, epidemiological well-being in third world countries, including in Africa and Asia, funded through national health authorities.
US funding for biological labs in Ukraine
According to Igor Kirillov, the entire amount of US support for military biological work carried out at Ukrainian Ministry of Defense facilities was $32 million.
The official presented a document dated March 6, 2015, confirming the Pentagon's direct participation in the financing of military biological projects in Ukraine, stating that, as is customary, US projects in the field of sanitary and epidemiological well-being in third countries, including Africa and Asia, are funded through national health authorities.
"I draw your attention to the fact that an agreement on joint biological activities was concluded between the US military department and the Ukrainian Ministry of Health. However, the real recipient of the funds is the laboratories of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, located in Kiev, Odessa, Lvov, and Kharkov. The total funding amounted to $32 million," Kirillov told reporters.
In an attempt to conceal evidence, biowaste from an Odessa-area laboratory was transported 120 kilometers (75 miles) away, while Ukrainian personnel was not even permitted to enter the building, according to the official.
Some question the legitimacy of documents pertaining to US military-biological activity in Ukraine; yet, there are signatures and seals on them.