Russia calls for Security Council meeting on US biolabs

• 

Russia has decided to stop its call of a vote on its draft resolution on the humanitarian situation in Ukraine, and will instead call for an emergency meeting regarding the US' biological laboratories in the country, Russia's Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said.

"We decided, on this stage, not to ask for a vote on our draft, but we are not withdrawing the draft resolution. Instead, tomorrow morning, we will ask for an emergency meeting to discuss again the issue of US biolaboratories in Ukraine, using the new documents we obtained in the course of the special military operation," Nebenzia said during a Security Council meeting on Thursday.

Data on biological laboratories found in Ukraine confirms the claims against the United States regarding its compliance with the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Tuesday. 

On Sunday Russian defense ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov announced that Russia would provide an analysis of documents on a program for the creation of biological weapons components in Ukraine.

"Documentation was received from employees of Ukrainian biological laboratories on the emergency destruction of especially dangerous pathogens of plague, anthrax, tularemia, cholera, and other deadly diseases on February 24. The emergency destruction of especially dangerous pathogens on February 24 was required to prevent the disclosure of facts of violations by Ukraine and the United States of Article I of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC)," Zakharova said in a statement.

Russia's claims were validated as per the information provided.

Russian forces found 30 biological laboratories in Ukraine on March 7, possibly used to develop biological weapons.