Russia Envoy Sees 'Inconvenient Truth' Behind Bio Labs U.S. Says Save Lives

Russia's envoy to the U.S. has demanded answers from Washington over Pentagon-funded biological research facilitates located in Ukraine and other countries, claiming the sites did not live up to international commitments.

The inquiry came despite repeated denials by President Joe Biden's administration that the U.S. was behind any nefarious activities in laboratories that officials say reduce the threat of biological harm to the population, rather than instigate it.

But days after Russia brought the issue to the United Nations (U.N.) to no avail, Moscow's ambassador in Washington, Anatoly Antonov, told Newsweek that "the risks posed by biological agents, including their falling into the wrong hands or a laboratory leakage, are on a par with nuclear and chemical proliferation.

"Rapid scientific and technological progress increases the danger inherent in dual use research," Antonov said. "Sensitive information on experiments aimed at creation of hybrid, more dangerous strains may well be a target of cyberattacks. Not to mention the fact that no one is immune from a human error or inadvertent release of particularly contagious pathogens into the environment."

Though the U.S. National Biodefense Strategy published last month outlined the need for protective measures from such threats as "top priority," Antonov argued that "Washington continues to implement extremely risky biological projects abroad, contradicting its own principles.

"There are currently more than 50 Pentagon-supervised laboratories in close proximity to the Russian borders," Antonov stated. "According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the network controlled by the U.S. Department of Defense includes at least 336 such facilities around the world."

Research at these sites, Antonov alleged, has "led to deterioration of epidemiological situation in the countries receiving American 'aid'" and "their work is carried out under conditions of utmost secrecy."

Specifically, he called out such activities being conducted in Ukraine with the support of the U.S. military's Defense Threat Reduction Agency, an initiative he referred to as "a glaring case of biosafety neglect" that runs contrary to the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), also known as the Biological Weapons and Toxins Convention (BWTC).

"Washington and Kiev do not disclose their dubious projects—implemented since 2016 under the code names of UP-4, Flu-Flyaway, P-781—even in the annual reports under the BTWC," Antonov argued. "Such behavior can only point to the fact that the United States and Ukraine have something to hide."

The BWC entered into force in 1975 and some 184 states have signed the treaty as of this February, when Russia launched a war against neighboring Ukraine. The accord effectively bans the development, stockpiling and use of biological weapons and toxin agents and Kyiv, Moscow and Washington have all ratified the agreement.

But Washington has faced accusations from Moscow of pursuing non-transparent work at research facilities across Ukraine since the earliest days of the conflict. The allegations began to gain traction as an information war between Russia and Ukraine intensified alongside the real-life battle ensuing between the two states, prompting U.S. officials to address the existence of "Ukrainian diagnostic and biodefense laboratories," which, as one State Department spokesperson told Newsweek in March, "are not biological weapons facilities."

"These institutions counter biological threats throughout the country," the spokesperson said at the time.

While U.S. officials have defended Washington and Kyiv's record with the BWC, they have accused Moscow of violating the treaty through alleged poisoning attempts against dissidents, including opposition figure Alexey Navalny on a Russian flight in 2020 and Russian ex-double agent Sergei Skripal along with his daughter Yulia in the U.K. in 2018. That same year, Russian officials issued claims that Washington was behind a secret biological weapons program in Georgia, which, like Ukraine, is an ex-Soviet republic with a history of conflict with Russia and Moscow-aligned separatists along the border.

Reached for comment on the latest claims issued by Antonov, a State Department spokesperson referred Newsweek to U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield's remarks made Thursday during a U.N. Security Council session at which she voted against Russia's resolution to investigate the allegations.

"The United States voted against this resolution because it is based on disinformation, dishonesty, bad faith, and a total lack of respect for this body," Thomas-Greenfield said. "The Biological Weapons Convention is important. It addresses the grave threat posed by biological weapons.

"The United States takes its responsibility seriously, and fully complies with and fulfills its obligations under the BWC," she added. "That includes assisting partners around the world to strengthen global health security and reduce the impact of infectious diseases on their societies."

She argued that Russia had "failed to provide any credible evidence to support these false allegations" and, "despite Russia's abuse of the process, and precisely because we respect the BWC and its provisions, the United States and Ukraine went through Russia's allegations in Geneva, point by point, and debunked every single one" during a previous U.N. session on the issue in Geneva in September.

"Russia knows our Cooperative Threat Reduction efforts are not for military purposes. We know Russia knows this, because for nearly two decades, Russia participated in this very kind of cooperation with us, including on biological threats," she added. "The truth is that Russia's questions are not sincere, and Russia is not interested in our answers."

Antonov said Moscow remained unconvinced by the U.S. and Ukrainian arguments and he accused Western nations of deflecting the Russian line of questioning.

"The collective West has followed the beaten track of accusing Russia of misinformation and distracting the international community from discussing more important issues," Antonov said. "The logic of such a nervous reaction of the U.S. colleagues is clear: In the absence of reliable counterarguments, it is easier to distort mirror images, especially when you know that obedient allies will not let you down."

To borrow a phrase made famous made by the 2006 documentary written by former Vice President Al Gore that raised awareness about the effects of climate change, Antonov warned there was "an inconvenient truth" for the U.S. "behind pretentious rhetoric."

"If the main goals of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program in the post-Soviet space were achieved in 2008, what biological threats in the immediate vicinity of the Russian borders has the DTRA been 'fighting' against for the last 14 years?" Antonov asked.

Other questions Antonov had for U.S. officials included, "Why has the U.S. transferred from Ukraine at least 16 thousand biosamples, including human tissue and serum? What is the real reason behind the emergent destruction of pathogen collections stored in these facilities (in accordance with the decree of the Ukrainian Ministry of Health of February 24, 2022)?"

And, "most importantly," he asked, "if as the U.S. insists it is all about peaceful activity aiming at bolstering Ukraine's healthcare system, why is the Pentagon involved?"

A fact sheet issued by the Pentagon in March said that the Biological Threat Reduction Program "has partnered with the Government of Ukraine to support peaceful and safe biological detection and diagnostic capabilities and to reduce the threats posed by pathogens," including through the investment of $200 million for "46 Ukrainian laboratories, health facilities, and diagnostic sites."

On the issue of biological sample destruction, the sheet said that "proper disposal of samples during a war reflects responsible conduct on the part of the Ukrainians to protect the Ukrainian people and the international community from potential accidental exposure due to irresponsible Russian actions."

Here, too, Antonov felt that many nations were failing to assess the situation objectively.

"Some states lost the ability to look at the situation critically a long time ago," Antonov said. "They are not bothered by the fact that in Ukraine the outbreaks of diseases caused by the above-mentioned pathogens have become more frequent.

"Neither do they question the Pentagon's intentions to transfer unfinished programs from Ukraine to third countries," he added. "Among the 'candidates' are Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Baltic states."

He accused the "collective West" of being plagued by "an intellectual paralysis" that extended to the U.S. consistently rejecting efforts to negotiate a legally binding verification mechanism to the BWC since 2001.

"We encourage the countries still able to pursue independent foreign policy to do their homework and reflect on the following question: what is the reason of Washington's reluctance to strengthen the Convention?" Antonov asked. "We do not strive to settle political scores with anybody. We act strictly within the BTWC legal framework."

In the lead up to the convention's review conference set to begin November 28, Antonov asserted that "it is high time to think about how to strengthen it, reject narrowly defined national interest, and put the entire mankind's wellbeing and security at the forefront."