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US set to restart some bio labs in Ukraine, says Russia’s top brass

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported earlier that Washington had been compelled to limit its military biological presence in Ukraine to cut political damage from revelations provided by the Russian side

MOSCOW, October 31. /TASS/. The United States keeps control of some Ukrainian biological sites and intends to restart their activity after the end of the conflict, Chief of Russia’s Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Protection Troops Lieutenant-General Igor Kirillov said on Tuesday.

"The US administration retains control over some Ukrainian biosites, expecting to resume their activities once the conflict is over. In December 2022, in a letter to Ukrainian contractors, the US-based CH2M Hill confirmed its intention to continue collecting dangerous pathogens in the western regions of the country while reducing the number of laboratories storing such specimens," he said.

Other tasks include control of the sanitary and epidemiological situation and the implementation of hardware and software complexes for biorisk management. What is more, Ukrainian organizations are required to submit reports on their work in these areas, the general said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported earlier that Washington had been compelled to limit its military biological presence in Ukraine to cut political damage from revelations provided by the Russian side, transferring some unfinished projects to Eastern European, African and Southeast Asian countries.

"At the same time, the United States maintains a keen interest in conducting research in Ukraine," Kirillov stressed.

"The fact of the implementation of US 'scientific programs' in Ukraine was confirmed in January 2023 by John Kirby, coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council," the general said.