A claim suggesting that Russia has found over 30 bioweapon labs formed by the Pentagon in Ukraine has surfaced on social media amid the ongoing war between the neighboring nations. However, the claim is dubious.
Days after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a 'special military operation' against Ukraine, reports of U.S. backed biolabs in Ukraine surfaced.
Where Are the Bioweapon Labs Located?
The recent claim surfaced after TASS, the Russian news agency, published an article headlined, "Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation: biological laboratories in Kharkov, Poltava and Lvov worked with plague and dysentery."
Quoting Igor Kirillov, Chief of the Radiation, Chemical and Biological Defense Forces of the RF Armed Forces, the outlet reported that under the pretext of combating covid, Ukraine sent the United States thousands of patient serum samples, primarily those belonging to the "Slavic ethnic group".
"Analysis of acts of destruction shows the work with the pathogens of plague, anthrax and brucellosis in the Lviv biological laboratory, pathogens of diphtheria, salmonellosis and dysentery in laboratories in Kharkov and Poltava," he said according to the outlet.
"Kirillov said that a network of more than 30 biological laboratories has been formed on the territory of Ukraine, the customer of the work is the Threat Reduction Agency under the US Department of Defense," read the article.
Here is the Truth
Debunking the claim, Lead Stories reported that most of these labs were already known to Russia, as they were formerly part of the USSR's "Biopreparat" developing defensive and offensive bio-measures. Some 20 years ago, the United States funded a publicly known program to press Moscow to abandon its bioweapon program.
The outlet further reported that a U.S. Government Accountability Office report, dating back to April 2000, speaks about the bio labs. The document details U.S. efforts to prevent the proliferation of bioweapon programs in the region by funding their destruction, paying scientists' salaries and covering enhanced safety measures preventing hazardous biomaterials from being leaked or stolen from designated facilities in former Soviet countries, reported the outlet.
Despite the claims being dubious, it was widely discussed on social media. "Why C was a planned bioweapon! Why President Putin is freeing the Ukraine from 30 bio weapons labs made by our USA TAX $ through Obam's Clint's' Kerry's Bidens's Pelosi's ROMNEY's & their sons! $ laundering /planning to destroy humanity! Checkmate! Game over! Thank God! GOD WINS," tweeted a user.
"Russia told the emergency UNSC that there are 30 military bioweapon labs in Ukraine US Ambassador to the UN emphatically denied it along w/ UK ambassador Evidence might be forthcoming tho Allegations might be supported later in another UNSC meeting w/ proof Denials come 1st," opined another user.
"Why does our country have 336 bio weapons lab in 30 different countries around the world? Is Putin a bad guy for destroying our Bioweapon labs in Ukraine? I think not. Our government and our media is lying to us again! They never stop!" expressed a user.
