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Military operation in Ukraine

Ukrainian bio laboratories received $32 mln of funding from US — Russian Defense Ministry

According to Russian Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops commander Igor Kirillov, the true recipients of the funds were laboratories of Ukrainian Ministry of Defense located in Kiev, Odessa, Lvov and Kharkov

MOSCOW, March 17. /TASS/. Ukrainian Defense Ministry laboratories in Kiev, Odessa, Lvov and Kharkov received $32 million funding from the US, says Russian Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops commander Igor Kirillov.

"I draw your attention to the fact that the agreement on joint biological activity was signed between the US military ministry and the Health Ministry of Ukraine. However, the true recipients of the funds were laboratories of Ukrainian Ministry of Defense located in Kiev, Odessa, Lvov and Kharkov. The total funding amount was $32 million," he said.

According to Kirillov, these laboratories were selected by US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and its contractor Black & Veatch for implementation of Project UP-8, aimed aimed at studying the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), leptospirosis and hantaviruses.

"Examination of documents on Project P-781 on transmission of diseases to humans via bats revealed that this research was carried out in the Kharkov laboratory, in cooperation with the notorious Lugar Research Center in Tbilisi. The total Pentagon’s spending for its implementation in Ukraine and Georgia amounted to $1.6 million, with Ukraine receiving most of it as main contractor," Kirillov underscored.

"In our opinion, the interest of US military biologists is connected to the fact that these pathogens have natural hotbeds both in Ukraine and Russia, and their use could be disguised as natural disease outbreaks," he added.

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Foreign policy Military operation in Ukraine

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Zelensky shook up by Russia’s response to permission to attack it — Lavrov

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Oreshnik test aims to persuade West to avoid escalation in Ukraine — media

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Ukraine should consider territorial concessions to Russia in return for peace — magazine

Foreign Policy pointed out that Western officials should stop insisting in public speeches on the need to achieve a strategic defeat for Russia

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Andrey Kartapolov added that the special military operation in Ukraine "will continue its course until all tasks are completed"

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China urges restraint after Russia, Ukraine's exchange of attacks — foreign ministry

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White House not yet ready to speak on causes of Baltic undersea cable ruptures

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Trump seeks to restore peace in entire world — transition team on Putin’s address

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US decision to allow missile strikes deep into Russia fuels global escalation — Slovak PM

Robert Fico also rejected the belief that this escalation would not impact "those living far away, in Spain, England, or America"

Biden's decision to use ATACMS on Russia threatens to kill Americans — Tucker Carlson

The journalist also criticized US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson (a Republican representing the state of Louisiana) for "not even mentioning it in public or in leadership meetings" with factions in the lower house of Congress

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US Congressman urges to impeach Biden for allowing strikes deep into Russia

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West launched missiles targeting Russia’s Bryansk, Kursk Regions — Putin

Russian air defenses repulsed all attacks, the Russian president said

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Russia’s reaction to Austrian OMV’s failure to pay for gas justified — MFA

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Bulgarian politician sees Oreshnik missile strike as wake-up call for peace

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Russian forces successfully advancing in all areas in special military op zone — Putin

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Russian military to warn Ukrainian civilians of future Oreshnik attacks — Kremlin

Earlier, the Russian Armed Forces carried out a precision strike on Ukraine’s Yuzhmash defense industry facility in retaliation for the use of US-and UK-made weapons for strikes on Russia

Soyuz rocket carrying Progress MS-29 cargo spaceship blasts off from Baikonur spaceport

Progress MS-29 will deliver 2,487 metric tons of cargo to the orbital outpost, including fuel, drinking water, compressed nitrogen, various equipment, food and clothing

Kremlin clarifies notification process for Oreshnik missile launch

"An automated warning was sent 30 minutes before the launch," Dmitry Peskov said

IN BRIEF: What Putin said about Russia’s new missile, and Moscow’s response to the West

Moscow used its new Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic ballistic missile in response to the West’s decision to authorize strategic-depth strikes on Russia

Japanese government refrains from commenting on Russia’s latest hypersonic missile

At the same time, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi once again criticized Russia’s actions in Ukraine

Ukrainian frontline may 'collapse' under onslaught of Russian forces — BBC

According to the experts, Ukraine’s incursion into Russia’s borderline Kursk Region turned out to be a "strategic catastrophe" amid "manpower shortages"

US is now at war with Russia, Ritter says

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West irrational, fails to understand it cannot intercept Russia's new missiles — Kneissl

The former Austrian foreign minister stressed that she "counted on rational Western decision-makers, but irrationality is unfortunately on the rise among them"

Pentagon sees possibility of sending more antipersonnel landmines to Ukraine

Department of Defense Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh gave no direct answer to the question of how Washington was planning to control Kiev’s use of US landmines

Putin's speech shows West that Russia won’t waver, is ready for any scenario — expert

Dmitry Suslov pointed to a crucial message in the President's speech: "Russia firmly believes that the West has moved from a proxy war to a direct war" and that the sides are already "in a state of global conflict"

Zelensky fine with conflict continuing due to Western help — Slovak PM

Robert Fico pointed out that "more and more evidence show that the West seeks to prolong the war in Ukraine for various reasons"

Russia encircles largest Ukrainian fortification in southern DPR — security services

"The enemy positioned in the fortified area in Velikaya Novoselka in the south of the DPR is already trapped in a kill zone," the source said

Russia entitled to use weapons against military sites of states attacking it — Duma

"Russia has repeatedly stated that such actions will receive a response – and it will be a stronger one," Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin stressed

Russia not obliged to notify anyone about launch of intermediate-range missile — Kremlin

"No, there have been no notifications, for Russia has no such obligation with regard to intermediate-range missiles," Dmitry Peskov emphasized

Top Russian diplomat to meet with Belarusian counterpart in Brest

Sergey Lavrov plans to meet with his Belarusian counterpart Maxim Ryzhenkov to exchange opinions on key issues of Russian-Belarusian cooperation and the international agenda, as well as on foreign policy coordination at international platforms

Captives, Ukrainian losses: situation in Kursk Region

Over the day, the enemy lost more than 150 people, while five Ukrainian servicemen surrendered